U.S.
Meridian Health Plan of Illinois and Centene Foundation Award $2.2 Million Grant to Safer Foundation for Purchase and Renovation of Affordable Housing Building in Chicago
Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. (Meridian) and the Centene Foundation today announced a $2.2 million grant to Safer Foundation (Safer), one of the nation's largest nonprofits providing reentry assistance for more than 50 years, for the purchase and renovation of an apartment building in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood. The grant supported Safer's purchase of the building at 146-150 N. Central Avenue and renovations of its affordable units that will be available in 2026.
About this update from Centene Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"Safer Foundation to Offer 23 Affordable Rental Units for Underserved Individuals in the Austin Neighborhood","length":122,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"CHICAGO, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. (Meridian) and the Centene Foundation today announced a $2.2 million grant to Safer Foundation (Safer), one of the nation's largest nonprofits providing reentry assistance for more than 50 years, for the purchase and renovation of an apartment building in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood. The grant supported Safer's purchase of the building at 146-150 N. Central Avenue and renovations of its affordable units that will be available in 2026.","length":556,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Meridian logo (PRNewsfoto/Meridian of Illinois)","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Meridian logo (PRNewsfoto/Meridian of Illinois)","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":160,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/5fe83d3c2b8cfc029ffbf507f64fa562"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/GruE.AJjK2aWr4Lj_9RS1A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTI4MjtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/5fe83d3c2b8cfc029ffbf507f64fa562","width":400,"height":160}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2564062/Meridian_Logo.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Meridian, a leading managed care organization in Illinois and a company of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), along with the Centene Foundation—the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation—jointly awarded the grant to Safer Foundation. The purchase of the 23-unit building adds to Safer's affordable housing portfolio that provides stable housing to individuals returning to community living and those transitioning from institutional or supportive care settings.","length":490,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Initial renovations at Safer Foundation's new building have been completed, including cleaning the exterior grounds and repairing security gates for the parking area. Renovations will include security upgrades, structural repairs, new roofing, electrical and HVAC systems, lead remediation, updated kitchens and bathrooms, fresh paint, new floo...