Preservation of Affordable Housing

About Us

Preservation of Affordable Housing's developments are revitalizing neighborhoods and reclaiming their proud histories of cultural, educational and social contributions to the City of Chicago.

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) is a nonprofit developer, owner and operator of affordable rental apartments in several urban communities in the Chicago area.

POAH’s primary mission is to preserve and steward sustainable affordable renting housing for low-to-moderate income individuals and families. Since starting to work in the Chicago area in 2008, POAH has built and renovated more than 2,000 homes in mixed-income buildings in the city and other Illinois communities. Bolstered by a $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant in 2011, POAH has built and renovated mixed-income, mixed-use communities, created new levels of community collaboration and coordinated partner-driven development.

The Woodlawn Resource Center, located on the first floor of The Burnham at Woodlawn Park on Cottage Grove Avenue, is an 8,000 square foot community center offering free social service support for residents and employment/workforce development opportunities for the entire community. The WRC staff has helped more than 700 people secure employment since it opened in 2015. The WRC is staffed by employment specialists from POAH's management company - POAH Communities.

The WRC offers a range of skill-building, workforce certifications, and education programs including financial, employment and income support services, behavioral health, GED, college preparedness and digital literacy.