Affordable Housing Investment is the Catalyst for a new Kid-Designed Playspace

Read Time: 4 Min

Strengthening communities is at the heart of what we do. Through a new community-driven partnership, we are providing families an affordable place to live and a safe place to play.

Children playing on the playground

Huntington partnered with Related Midwest, the largest developer of affordable housing in the Midwest region, by providing an equity bridge loan and low-income housing tax-credit equity investment to finance the rehabilitation of Southern Hills Apartments, a 125-unit affordable housing complex in Decatur, Illinois.

The impact of this community investment did not stop there. Related Affordable Foundation collaborated with KABOOM! – a nonprofit organization focused on ending play space inequity – and Southern Hills community members to create a new playground close to where the families live and learn. The children of Southern Hills were delighted to draw sketches of their dream playspace as part of a “Design Day” event, and Huntington employees volunteered to help construct the new playground.

Working together, we developed a high-quality, safe, and vibrant place for families to live and play, build social bonds, and grow stronger as a community.