PEORIA, Ill. – The walls of the first homes on the former McKinley School site in South Peoria are up.

The city and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Peoria had a wall raising ceremony Friday afternoon to mark the occasion.

Mayor Rita Ali tells 25 News it addresses a top need for housing on the South Side.

“This is an opportunity in an area where people have left in drones, people have left the South Side over the last 20 years because there’s been a lack of affordable, quality housing,” Ali said.

Basements for three of the homes are already completed, with the first three homes expected to be finished by summer of next year. Six single family homes will go on the site when the work is done.

The former McKinley School was torn down in 2023 to make way for the housing.

The homes are av

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