Our 6th Annual Toast to Housing Justice is almost here—our virtual benefit storefront will launch on Monday, April 4. Stay tuned for more details and get ready to snag benefit offerings ranging from gym memberships to guitar lessons.

In the meantime, we hope that you'll consider making a contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Your support strengthens the movements to expand and protect affordable housing. Together, we can continue working to secure critical investments and equitable policy changes—and create an Illinois where everyone has a good, affordable place to call home. 

General Assembly to Adjourn Early, Action Needed

The Illinois General Assembly has announced an early end date for this year’s session: state legislators will adjourn on April 8. This means we only have a couple of weeks to secure legislative wins. Before they adjourn, we are urging legislators to:

• Pass Source of Income Housing Protections: Our proposed legislation, HB 2775, will strengthen existing local SOI discrimination laws and protect every resident in Illinois communities. The amended bill provides the opportunity for individuals and families currently shut out of housing opportunities to make their case to a landlord that they will be a good tenant. Urge legislators to act now »
• Dedicate Significant Federal Funds to Create Affordable Housing & End Homelessness: Legislators are making decisions about how to spend remaining federal fiscal recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Add your name to endorse $855 million for Illinois at Home »
• Increase State Investment in Homeless services in the FY23 budget:

  The governor’s proposed FY23 budget reduces the FY22 $25 million line item for COVID-19 eviction mitigation programs to $10 million. With partners, we are advocating that the $15 million reduction be reallocated as a down payment on needed investments to end homelessness, along with $5 million in new funding. Learn more »

Federal Advocacy Success: Congress Increases Funding for Housing

Last week, federal House and Senate leaders announced a final fiscal year 2022 spending bill that provides HUD programs with $53.7 billion, which is $4 billion above FY21 enacted levels. It includes $200 million to expand rental assistance vouchers to an additional 25,000 households, including individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, survivors of domestic violence and veterans. Learn more »

This April, Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) will begin accepting applications for the Illinois Emergency Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF). ILHAF is intended to assist Illinois homeowners who have struggled to pay their mortgage due to COVID-19. Homeowners can apply for receive grants up to $30,000 to eliminate or reduce past-due mortgages and property tax payments.

Interested applicants should check their eligibility and attend an information session held by IHDA to learn what to do to be ready to apply. 

Announcing 2022 Trainings

This year, after receiving a HUD Training Award to bring national trainings for housing counselors, we look forward to offering a robust lineup of virtual learning opportunities. Registration is now open for our March and April trainings, all which you can find listed on our trainings calendar. We update our calendar regularly, so make sure to check in periodically to learn about which trainings we are offering each month.

Join us next week on March 22 from 1:00 pm–3:00 pm CT for Basic Alternatives to Foreclosure: The Decision Tree. Learn about the options available to homeowners who are facing foreclosure and what programs exist to assist homeowners through the process. Register now »

Apply to Become an AmeriCorps Member

Are you interested in making a difference in your community while gaining professional experience with a nonprofit? Each year, Housing Action matches AmeriCorps members with community-based organizations across Illinois. AmeriCorps members take on a variety of roles at their host organizations, all aimed at helping our communities thrive. They expand the scale of programs and services, implement new projects, and build capacity to further the long-term sustainability of anti-poverty programs at their host organizations.

AmeriCorps members serve full-time at their host organizations. Their terms of service last 12 months (for full-year members), or 8 to 10 weeks (for Summer Associates, who serve between June and August).

Learn more and apply today »

“Territory primarily focuses on creating mentorship and career pathways for young people who don’t have as many opportunities just because of the neighborhood they’re from,” says Xoxhitl Hubbell-Fox, AmeriCorps VISTA at Territory.

Territory is a nonprofit organization that strives to provide place-based urban design opportunities for young people to build better futures for themselves and their communities. Through their design programs and projects, Territory hopes to empower young people to understand their own agency and the ways in which they can have a positive impact on their community. 

Read more about their work »

We're planning to return to an in-person gathering for our 2022 Housing Matters Conference! Join us on October 20 & 21 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, Illinois.

We're excited to celebrate our 35th Anniversary at the conference, and we're looking forward to seeing familiar and new faces as we toast to our accomplishments and renew our commitment to build a better future for all Illinois communities.