Mercy Housing Lakefront provides affordable housing and supportive services to low-income residents in Chicago. Their programs help residents maintain stable housing, improve health outcomes, excel in school, and achieve greater financial stability. Despite challenges like extremely low incomes, mental health issues, and addiction, 90% of residents successfully maintain housing each year. Supportive services connect residents to healthcare and community resources, allowing many to save money for the first time in their lives and overcome homelessness.

1.
Mercy Housing
Lakefront’s residents
spend 30% of their
income or less on
housing. In many
cases, this is the first
time in their lives
that they have been
able to save money
from month to
month. When a crisis
arises, they have the
security of knowing
that it won’t end up
with them becoming
homeless.
Mercy Housing
Lakefront’s health &
wellness programs,
including physical
and mental health
referrals, substance
abuse and mental
health counseling, art
therapy, fitness
programs, and health
education workshops
lead to 33% fewer
days in the hospital
for residents.
Affordable
housing is
a long-term
solution
Youth who
participate in
after-school and
summer programs
through Mercy
Housing Lakefront
increase their
standardized
math and reading
scores by an
average of 150%,
and are 15% more
likely than their
peers to graduate
from high school.
Despite extremely-
low incomes and a
variety of
challenges related
to mental health &
addiction, among
others, 90% of
Mercy Housing
Lakefront’s
residents
successfully
maintain housing
on an annual
basis.
Affordable
housing
helps
children
excel in
school
Affordable
housing
improves
health
outcomes
Affordable
housing
grows
financial
stability
Alleviating poverty by
creating stable,
vibrant and healthy
communities
LAKEFRONT
www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront | For more information, contact Mark Angelini, mangelini@mercyhousing.org

2.
For many of our residents, stable housing has been difficult
to maintain due to extremely low incomes and health
challenges, including chronic physical problems, addiction,
and mental health issues. In these circumstances,
homelessness can be a default status. But when the
opportunity for affordable and supportive housing arises,
lasting change is possible.
We want our residents to have thriving lives in strong
communities. Stable housing is a platform for reaching and
sustaining positive individual outcomes.
Affordable housing is a
long-term solution
Stable housing is the beginning of
changed lives.
How Mercy Housing
Lakefront Creates
Stability
•Supportive services connect
residents to medical and
mental health providers
•Community events and
special initiatives create a
caring network around
residents
•Below market rental rates
make housing affordable
3+On HUD’s self-sufficiency
scale of 1 (crisis) to 5 (fully
empowered), our residents
maintain a 3 or better, year
after year.
86%
Of Mercy Housing Lakefront’s
supportive services residents
were formerly homeless or
have special needs
90%
Despite low incomes and other challenges, 90
percent of Mercy Housing Lakefront’s residents
successfully maintain housing on an annual
basis. Their lives are permanently changed for
the better.
www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront | For more information, contact Mark Angelini, mangelini@mercyhousing.org

3.
Where you live has a significant influence on your health.
Research shows that quality affordable housing is a vaccine
against negative health outcomes because it:
• Eliminates the “heat or eat” choice, allowing
families to use more of their limited incomes on nutritious
food or medications.
• Cuts contaminants by reducing exposure to pollutants
like lead, roaches and mold.
• Decreases disease and stress caused by over-
crowding.
• Increases access to community services like health
care and fitness centers, as well as increased freedom from
violence.
Affordable housing
improves health outcomes
Physicians tell us they wish they could
prescribe housing.
Health Programs
Offered Through Mercy
Housing Lakefront
•Physical & mental health
referrals,
•Substance abuse & mental
health counseling,
•Art therapy,
•Fitness programs,
•Health education
workshops
•Community health fairs
40%
Of health outcomes can be
traced to social and economic
factors like housing
72%
Of Mercy Housing Lakefront’s
residents have a primary care
physician
www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront | For more information, contact Mark Angelini, mangelini@mercyhousing.org

4.
When a parent is unable to secure safe and affordable
housing, children find themselves moving from shelters to
relative’s couches, and back again. Studies within Chicago
Public Schools show that kids who move frequently fall
behind, with the recovery time becoming greater with each
move. They are more likely to drop out of school or have low
reading and math scores. As adults, children who moved
frequently report poorer overall well-being.
Stabilize housing and you open up a world of academic
possibilities to children. Elementary school students in
MHL’s after-school and summer programs show rapid
growth in their math and reading scores and are more
likely than their peers to graduate from high school.
Affordable housing helps
children excel in school
A stable home is step 1 for a child’s
academic well-being.
43,000
Children in Chicago
experience homelessness
each year, and are
15%Greater likelihood of
graduating from high school,
for youth who attend MHL
programs
150%
Amount gained in reading &
math assessments by youth
who participate in MHL’s
programs
68%
Percent less likely to
graduate from college, for
children who move 3 or more
times for negative reasons.
www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront | For more information, contact Mark Angelini, mangelini@mercyhousing.org

5.
Nationally, 76% of people say that it’s harder than ever to
achieve and sustain a middle class lifestyle. A lack of access
to affordable housing makes this even more difficult, as
families with limited resources must spend a greater
percentage of their income to find safe living spaces.
Access to affordable housing is the first rung in reaching
financial stability. In one study of 55 families who received
affordable housing and support services, 29 earned an
educational certificate (such as a GED), the number of
working parents rose from 7 to 29, and family monthly
income grew by 91% in less than two years.
Affordable housing
grows financial stability
Housing is the first rung on the ladder
to a strong financial future.
53%Of Americans have made
significant sacrifices to
afford housing: working extra
jobs, cutting back on
purchasing food or health
care, or moving to less safe
areas to afford housing.
40-48%
Of the region’s residents spend
30% or more of their income
on rent or mortgages, the
threshold above which housing
is no longer affordable.
91%
Increase in family monthly income among
subjects who received affordable housing.
When families have
access to affordable
housing, they are able
to:
•Turn attention to education,
job training, and
employment.
•Use more family resources
for healthy food, medical
care, and children’s
academic enrichment.
•Save for emergencies, or for
home ownership.
www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront | For more information, contact Mark Angelini, mangelini@mercyhousing.org

6. www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront | For more information, contact Mark Angelini, mangelini@mercyhousing.org
Mark Angelini is the President of Mercy Housing
Lakefront (MHL), one of the largest and most innovative
community development organizations in the Midwest. MHL has
developed and manages 28 affordable rental properties enabling
more than 5,000 people to live in hope. By completing construction
of four new buildings and assuming ownership of another housing
ministry, MHL will double in scale by 2017.
Mark grew up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Chicago, and has
invested over 30 years in economic, community and real estate
development and revitalization of Chicago’s communities.
After beginning his career as the Executive Assistant for Economic
Development to U.S. Senator Paul Simon, Mark served as the chief-
of-staff for Ald. Gerald McLaughlin. He later worked at The Shaw
Company where he contributed to a neighborhood revitalization
effort when Sears, Roebuck & Co. moved their headquarters out of
Homan Square. Today, nearly 25 years later, Mercy Housing
Lakefront is renovating the old Sears & Roebuck building to serve
as a service-enriched affordable housing residence for 181
Chicago families.
Mark holds a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Notre
Dame and a M.S. in Engineering from Northwestern University.
Mark Angelini
President | Mercy Housing
Lakefront
Mark’s Areas of
Expertise
•Affordable and supportive
housing – including their link
to health, economic, and
community development
•Real estate development
•Responsible/sustainable
land and property use, and
related public policy analysis
•Non-profit executive
management – including
social services
•Large-scale public/private
partnerships
LAKEFRON
T
mangelini@mercyhousing.org
t: 312.878.1911

7. www.mercyhousing.org/lakefront | For more information, contact Mark Angelini, mangelini@mercyhousing.org
Mark Angelini is the President of Mercy Housing
Lakefront (MHL), one of the largest and most innovative
community development organizations in the Midwest. MHL has
developed and manages 28 affordable rental properties enabling
more than 5,000 people to live in hope. By completing construction
of four new buildings and assuming ownership of another housing
ministry, MHL will double in scale by 2017.
Mark grew up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Chicago, and has
invested over 30 years in economic, community and real estate
development and revitalization of Chicago’s communities.
After beginning his career as the Executive Assistant for Economic
Development to U.S. Senator Paul Simon, Mark served as the chief-
of-staff for Ald. Gerald McLaughlin. He later worked at The Shaw
Company where he contributed to a neighborhood revitalization
effort when Sears, Roebuck & Co. moved their headquarters out of
Homan Square. Today, nearly 25 years later, Mercy Housing
Lakefront is renovating the old Sears & Roebuck building to serve
as a service-enriched affordable housing residence for 181
Chicago families.
Mark holds a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Notre
Dame and a M.S. in Engineering from Northwestern University.
Mark Angelini
President | Mercy Housing
Lakefront
Mark’s Areas of
Expertise
•Affordable and supportive
housing – including their link
to health, economic, and
community development
•Real estate development
•Responsible/sustainable
land and property use, and
related public policy analysis
•Non-profit executive
management – including
social services
•Large-scale public/private
partnerships
LAKEFRON
T
mangelini@mercyhousing.org
t: 312.878.1911