La Casa Student Housing Development Opens in Chicago’s Pilsen Neighborhood

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

Governor Pat Quinn, representatives of The Resurrection Project and local legislators have announced the opening of the La Casa Student Housing development. Located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood at 1818 S. Paulina St., the six-story residence hall offers students all the benefits of on-campus housing, including live in-resident advisors for ongoing academic support.

La Casa, which is closely located to public transportation and major highways, provides students with easy access to the major universities and colleges in the Chicago area. The development, which will house 100 students and five resident aides, also includes a resource center that features an onsite computer lab and academic advisors to offer career guidance and access to financial resources.

“La Casa is the world’s first community-based college dormitory designed to increase our young people’s likelihood of college success,” said Raul Raymundo, CEO of The Resurrection Project. “It was created for the commuting college student who is living at home in a two-bedroom apartment with no place to study other than the bathroom at two in the morning. It was created because we want all children in our community to know that a bachelor’s degree is not an option, but a requirement.”

In the pursuit of increasing access to higher education, the state provided over $8.4 million of the $12.2 million total project cost to construct the La Casa Student Housing development and resource center. The state’s grant funds were used to acquire the land and to cover costs associated with the design and construction of the residence hall and resource center. The first floor of the residence hall will feature various amenities including a fitness center, a retail shop and laundry facilities.

“Higher education is the key to improving our economy and preparing our students for the workforce of tomorrow,” said Quinn. “This new student housing development will provide more resources to students to help them as they pursue their degrees.”

Image Courtesy of: www.lacasastudenthousing.org