The Cook County Board has voted unanimously to provide $7 million to Connections for the Homeless to buy the Margarita Inn in Evanston.

The commission vote Thursday will devote a slice of the $1 billion the county received from the federal government in pandemic aid to the Margarita project, along with $6.5 million to fund purchase of the Write Inn in Oak Park by Housing Forward LLC and the Oak Park Residence Corp.

The deals are structured as no-interest, fully forgivable 30-year loans to the nonprofit groups.

The county has been funding Connections’ lease of the Margarita, where it provides shelter for up to 70 people experiencing homelessness.

More on the story from the Chicago Tribune and WBEZ.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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