Congress enacted the United States Housing Act of 1937, which established the Public Housing Program. The goal of this program has always been to provide safe, decent and sanitary housing for low income families. As a result, Public Housing Agencies (PHA) were established to develop, own and manage low-income housing. One such agency is the Housing Authority of McDonough County (HAMC), founded in 1946, which plays a vital role in serving the community.
The State Housing Board issued a Certificate of Necessity for the creation of the Housing Authority of McDonough County on August 13, 1946, deeming McDonough County in dire need of more and better housing for many of its 26,944 residents. Research shows that HAMC may even have been loosely formed in 1941, but during the 1940s and and 1950s, the agency operated primarily as an administrative body rather than managing large multi-family urban projects. Dedicated permanent public housing sites like Eisenhower Tower and modern developments came later, while low-income assistance in that decade relied heavily on private rentals or transitional means.
Early indigent care and housing for the county’s poorest residents had been centered at the McDonough County Almshouse (which later on converted to the Elms Nursing Home). Although a previous almshouse had been located north of Macomb near the entry to Macomb Municipal Airport, a newer one was built at roads 750N and 1300E and was phased out at the end of the 1950s. A sign marking the almshouse site, donated by the McDonough County Historical Society, is on the southwest corner of Candy Lane and 1050 north. (There will be an upcoming story on the almshouses and the Elms.)
It was the McDonough County census of 1940 that brought to light the need for more and better housing. The census showed that: - McDonough County had approximately 26,944 residents.
- The number of families in McDonough County increased from 7,692 in 1930 to 8,441 in 1940.
- The number of new dwellings in McDonough County produced between 1930-1940 was only 395 to 749 families.
- 48%, or 4,083, of all dwelling units in McDonough County were residents over 45.
- 5,107 houses were without indoor toilets, and there were 200 houses in which more than one family shared the indoor toilet; 5,134 had no bath, 208 in which more than one family shared bathing facilities and 82 houses had no toilet or privy.
- 2,088 houses needed major repairs The census showed a shortage of safe and sanitary housing accommodations in the county available to persons who lacked the amount of income which was necessary to enable them, without financial assistance, to live in decent, safe and sanitary dwellings without overcrowding. The statistics presented revealed that conditions had not improved in the last five years (1945-1940), but had increased in the county without corresponding improvements in housing and living conditions. Evidence showed an acute shortage of adequate standard housing and that families of lower income workers were required to live in obsolete and unsatisfactory houses.
Today, the HAMC manages three rent assistance programs in McDonough County. The HAMC owns four public housing properties and one Section 8 multi-family property. Two properties are in Macomb: Eisenhower Tower, a 10-story hi-rise, with 107 apartments, and Prairieview Townhomes, a family property with 97 apartments. The other two are in Bushnell: Greenbriar Apartments, a family property with 50 apartments, and Fitch Manor, a combined public housing and Section 8 multi-family for persons with disabilities and/or over age 55. Each property has a manager and a maintenance staff. The HAMC also provides rental assistance to families through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
The HAMC is highly regulated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). There is a Board of Commissioners composed of seven members, including a public housing resident. The board of Commissioners, approved by the McDonough County Board, meets on the third Monday of each month when the executive director, director of maintenance and finance director report on HAMC operations.
The HAMC receives funding for four programs: public housing, Section 8 multi-family, Section 8 housing choice vouchers and the capital fund. The HAMC is its own entity of local government, meaning they are not funded by any local source. Their income is just around 50 percent federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and resident rent and charges in the public housing and multi-family programs.
The capital fund pays for large expenses like roofs, siding and sidewalks. In recent years, the HAMC has invested capital funds for property improvements to include new siding at two of its developments (Prairieview Townhomes & Fitch Manor), a new laundromat and playground at Prairieview Townhomes, and a variety of property and maintenance needs are continually addressed. Greenbriar Apartments is scheduled for new siding in early 2027.
The HAMC is proud partners with many agencies. It works together with the Macomb Police Department, the Samaritan Well and Genesis Gardens to reduce those who are unhoused in Macomb. HAMC also collaborates with Big Brothers Big Sisters of McDonough County, the Giving Gardens, and the Macomb Community Garden. Over the years, the Housing Authority of McDonough County has worked with the Mt. Calvary Church of God in Christ to provide free lunches to families each summer and distribute school supplies. The Wee Care Day Care Center has been established at Prairieview Townhomes since 1972; they currently provide care to 33 children.
The overall goal of the HAMC is to provide an affordable dwelling in a safe and comfortable environment where families can feel proud to call home. Congratulations to the Housing Authority of McDonough County for surpassing 80 years of existence and to Annette Carper, executive director, for all of her hard work and dedication.
Credits: Annette Carper, Executive Director HAMC John Hallwas, Macomb - A Pictorial History
Eisenhower Tower in Macomb
