Housing Forward Breaks Ground on The Oak Inn: A Permanent Home for Healing, Stability, and New Beginnings

OAK PARK, Ill. (October 15, 2026) – Every person deserves a safe place to heal, rebuild, and move forward. That belief is at the heart of our year-long renovation to transform an aging hotel into The Oak Inn, a permanent home for Housing Forward's Interim Housing and RISE Center Medical Respite Programs.

Construction has begun at the former Write Inn Hotel to expand access to shelter, recuperative care, and supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in west suburban Cook County. When completed, the 27,000 square-foot facility will feature 62 private rooms, each with a bathroom, kitchenette, and personal storage, providing temporary residents with comfort, privacy and dignity. 22 rooms will be fully ADA-accessible, ensuring the building can serve people of all abilities. The renovation will also include expanded clinical and case management offices, welcoming community gathering spaces, an outdoor patio, and modernized building systems to support long-term sustainability.

The building’s new name, The Oak Inn, reflects both the strength and resilience of the people Housing Forward serves and the deep roots the 100-year-old building has in the community. The building symbolizes stability, growth, and the opportunity to flourish.

“For nearly six years, our Interim Housing and Medical Respite programs have helped people stabilize, recover, and take the next steps toward permanent housing,” said Lynda Schueler, Chief Executive Officer of Housing Forward. “The Oak Inn represents more than a renovated building - it is an investment in human dignity.” 

Housing Forward began leasing the property in September 2020 during the pandemic. “We recognized an opportunity to rethink the PADS shelter model by replacing rotating, temporary-style sleeping arrangements with private accommodations that promote safety, healing, and stability,” said Schueler. In November 2023, with support from Cook County ARPA funding, the organization purchased the building, securing a permanent home for two innovative programs that continue to transform lives: Today, the property includes:

• Interim Housing, which provides individuals and families experiencing homelessness with private accommodations and comprehensive support services while they work toward permanent housing; and
• The RISE Center Medical Respite, operated in partnership with Cook County Health, which offers short-term care for individuals discharged from inpatient hospitalization.

Together, the programs have served more than 853 people since 2020, with 83 percent of people remaining stably housed after leaving the programs. 

Program participants who were staying at the property have been relocated to the West Cook YMCA, where they continue to have private accommodations, meals, and access to case management and supportive services without disruption. 

The project is supported through a combination of public and private funding. Housing Forward gratefully acknowledges the support of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, President of the Illinois Senate Don Harmon, Speaker of the Illinois House Emanuel "Chris" Welch, the Village of Oak Park, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. Housing Forward would also like to acknowledge the project partners IFF, LBBA Architects, Sollitt, Jenner & Block, and Reed Construction for their work to make The Oak Inn possible.

Founded by local congregations and community members to provide emergency shelter, Housing Forward’s approach has evolved to support individuals from the onset of a housing or financial crisis through to long-term stability. For more than 30 years, the organization has worked toward a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.