 | January 2023 Newsletter: When You'll Hear Subscription Updates | 2022 in Review | SOI Protections | Policy Focus | Housing Counselor Dispatch | AmeriCorps Updates | New Board & Staff | Save the Date | Learning & Networking | What We're Sharing | Jobs |
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| | When You'll Hear From Us in 2023 |
| This year, we're going to send our newsletter every other month instead of every month. We know how quickly email inboxes fill up, and we want to keep from flooding yours. In addition to our bimonthly newsletter, we will send quarterly updates to our member organizations. We will also share issue updates, program news, and action alerts with people who have subscribed for them. Manage your email preferences » |
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| | | For 35 years, our coalition has brought together hundreds of organizations and supporters to work toward an Illinois where everyone has a stable, affordable place to call home. In 2022, while celebrating our 35th anniversary and reflecting on past accomplishments, we made critical progress on ending homelessness and expanding affordable housing for all. Join us in looking back at some of last year's highlights » |
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| | Linoleum prints created in the Collaborative Resistance Printshop course at the UIC School of Art & Art History in the spring of 2022. Students in the course created works in response to questions posed by Housing Action Illinois about the future and importance of affordable housing during our 35th anniversary year. |
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| | Source of Income Protections Now in Effect |
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| Source of income (SOI) discrimination is when someone is denied the opportunity to even apply for rental housing simply because they will pay rent with non-wage income, such as SSI or Housing Choice Vouchers. Housing Action Illinois and our allies with the Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing worked successfully to pass statewide protections against SOI discrimination last year, and as of January 1, 2023, housing providers may not deny a housing applicant based their legal form of income, including: - Housing choice vouchers (formerly Section 8)
- Social security/disability benefits (SSI/SSDI)
- Veteran administration subsidies
- Child support or alimony payments
Learn more » |
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| | | Take Action Now Stay tuned for our 2023 policy agenda, which includes two key issues you can take action on now: |
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| Lame Duck General Assembly Wrap-Up Housing Action is excited to celebrate two key wins from the recent lame duck Illinois General Assembly session: - Increased funding for the Rental Housing Support Program, which serves about 2,400 extremely low-income households each year. HB 3878 increases the fee on the recordation of real estate documents from $10 to $20 to double the program’s funding. Passing this took more than four years of advocacy; thank you to everyone who submitted proponent witness slips, the Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund for leading the effort, and chief sponsors Rep. Curtis Tarver and Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas.
- Allocation of $75 million in federal funds for housing in Illinois. HB 969, a supplemental appropriations bill, reallocates some of Illinois' American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) state fiscal recovery funding, providing $40 million for new permanent supportive housing and emergency shelters; $20 million for IHDA’s Opening Doors homebuyer program; $7.24 million for employee recruitment and retention for state-funded service providers; $5 million for the Here to Stay Community Land Trust; and $3 million for cultural districts. Thank you to Rep. Will Guzzardi for championing this effort, working with allies including Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, and Sen. Ann Gillespie.
Final Federal FY23 Budget Thanks to all who contacted their members of Congress during the negotiations on the final FY23 federal government budget. The omnibus budget bill, released in December, includes $61.8 billion for HUD's housing and homelessness programs ($8.1 billion more than FY22-enacted levels). See the National Low Income Housing Coalition's full analysis. |
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| | Housing Counselor Dispatch |
| Announcing 2023 Trainings We have a full lineup of trainings to help new and would-be housing counselors gain the fundamental knowledge and skills to help their clients. Register today: - Housing Counseling Career Path (6 sessions), Jan. 24–26, Jan 31, Feb. 1–2: Register
- Credit as an Asset, (3 sessions), Feb 7–9: Register
See all upcoming trainings » |
| Relaunch of Opening Doors Homebuyer Assistance Program Offered through the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the Opening Doors/Abriendo Puertas program is designed to aid lower-income people of color who have historically faced steeper barriers in their path toward homeownership. Eligible participants receive $6,000 in forgivable assistance for down payment and/or closing costs. The program is reopening now with $8 million from state Rebuild Illinois capital funds and is expected to assist more than 1,300 potential homebuyers. Learn more » |
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| | | Apply by Friday to Host an AmeriCorps Member Making a fundraising video for #GivingTuesday. Launching a program that empowers residents to advocate for themselves. Developing workshops to teach homeowners and renters how to save money by being environmentally friendly. AmeriCorps VISTA Members in Housing Action's network have tackled all of these projects and more. We place both full-year and summer AmeriCorps Members with organizations around the state to work on projects that build their organizations' capacity to fight poverty. Email to request a host site application (due January 27) » |
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| | New Faces at Housing Action |
| Housing Action is excited to welcome two new Board Members, Paula Bush and Cornell D. Lurry, Sr., and two new staff members, Marissa Diekhoff and Emily Stahl! |
|  | Paula Bush is the Executive Director of North West Housing Partnership. |
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 | Cornell D. Lurry, Sr. serves as a Regional Community Development Relationship Manager for Midland States Bank. |
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 | Emily Stahl is joining Housing Action as a Housing Counseling Training AmeriCorps VISTA Member. |
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| | | 7th Annual Toast to Housing Justice We hope you'll save the date for our upcoming Toast to Housing Justice, our annual spring benefit, which will take place on April 13, 2023, at Catalyst Ranch in Chicago from 6:00–9:00 p.m. Tickets will be available for purchase in mid-February. 2023 Housing Matters Conference We're planning to return to the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, Illinois for our 2023 conference, and we hope you'll join us on October 19-20, 2023! |
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| | Learning & Networking Events from us, our members, funders, and organizations to which we belong. Submit your listing » Hosted by CSH in partnership with IHDA
The 2023 CSH Supportive Housing Institute will help you jumpstart a supportive housing project through ten sessions held in Mattoon, IL over the course of four months. Applications due 1/20/23: Learn more  Housing Counseling Career Path (English), starting 1/24: Register Credit as an Asset, 2/7–9: Register Hosted by Forefront
Fostering A Diverse Donor Base To Enhance Social Impact, 2/7: Register See all upcoming Housing Action events » |
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| | What We're Sharing Advocates are calling on the state to fund non-congregate hotel room shelters, Capitol News Illinois, 12/21/22 (news) HUD's Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program. Apply by 1/25/23. (funding opportunity) IHDA's Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) supports qualified homeowners who need help with past-due mortgage payments and related expenses due to financial hardships associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more, join an info session, and help homeowners apply by 1/31/23. (resource) RRF Foundation for Aging supports programs and research that significantly improve the quality of life for older people, and housing is one of their priority areas. LOI deadline 2/1/23. (funding opportunity) The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program provides funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Deadline 2/23/23. (funding opportunity) The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Program (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding for projects that address local environmental and public health issues. Deadline 4/10/23. (funding opportunity) Health Projects Funded in CO, IA, IL, and OK by the Telligen Community Initiative support innovative and forward-looking health-related projects aimed at improving health, social well-being, and educational attainment. Deadline for social determinants of health projects 6/16/23. (funding opportunity) |
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| | 360 Youth Services, Transitional Housing Program Case Manager Bridge Communities, Intake & Program Assistant Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Director of Development Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis, Partnership Coordinator Hesed House, Case Manager HOPE Fair Housing, Staff Attorney IFF, Associate Legal Counsel South Suburban Housing Center, Housing Counseling Support Specialist Woodstock Institute, Communications Associate Housing Action Illinois is collaborating with the National Housing Resource Center (NHRC) to expand the field of housing counseling, and NHRC has launched a jobs board to match HUD-certified housing counselors and agencies with open positions. Find or post a housing counseling position at HousingCounselingCareer.org » |
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| | We are stronger together. Join us in the fight to create an Illinois where everyone has a good, stable place to call home. |
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| | Housing Action Illinois
67 E. Madison Street, Suite 1603 | Chicago, Illinois 60603
312-939-6074 | communications@housingactionil.org |
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