Rose House

Rose House was purchased in January, 2006 through a generous private donation by Ed Fortino and Dayle Duchossois. The agency applied for and was granted a long-term zero-percent loan of $900,000 from the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to renovate the building.

After extensive renovations, Rose House opened in October 2007.  The nine unit building houses 18 individuals and a community room and offers four apartments that are fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities. A grand opening for Rose House is being planned for Spring 2008.  

The name Rose House was chosen to honor the sister of Ed Fortino, Rose, who struggled with schizophrenia, which brought her career and independence to a halt.  Mr. Fortino commented, “Battling mental illnesses has been an issue for more years than I care to count.  Family members provided care for Rose because there were no options, other than unsatisfactory institutions.  Our son has struggled with this same mental illness for the past 25 years, and the housing situation has improved only slightly.  It has long been our goal to help improve living conditions for those recovering from mental illnesses. Rose was the name of a lovely woman.  And for the new building, it also conveys the subtle image of residents blossoming into productive, healthy adults.”