Plans to house 25 homeless families in a rehabbed Rogers Park building are riding on hopes that the state Senate will restore $200,000 in funding needed to provide support services. 

The funds were cut from the state budget last week by Gov. Rod Blagojevich as part of $4 million in cuts to programs for the homeless.

This week, the state House of Representatives voted to restore the cuts, but without action by the Senate, the organization will have to cut back on services, according to spokeswoman Jen Patterson.

Patterson says the organization is "cautiously optimistic" that the senate will overturn the governor's cuts when it convenes next week.

"We have very supportive elected officials within the House and Senate and we are very optimistic that they will help us drive this forward," she said Thursday.

Patterson says the money would be used to provide services to the additional families, who are scheduled to begin moving into the new building at the end of the year.

"(The additional funding) will help us with ensuring that we can expand service to meet (the families') needs," Patterson said.

The Rogers Park building was the site of gang activity and drug dealing before HOW purchased it on June 30, Patterson says.

Renovations are scheduled to begin this summer, she said.

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