Know someone who wants to make a difference?
Ask if they've heard of AmeriCorps.

We’re looking for dedicated individuals to join our AmeriCorps network and serve with organizations across Illinois (and beyond). AmeriCorps members spend a year or summer helping organizations expand their services while learning new skills, earning money for school, and growing a network of professional connections.

We're looking for people like Ezella. "I'm the person I needed years ago," reflects Ezella, who is helping Northern Illinois Regional Affordable Community Housing offer more services to residents in Northern IL. During her year of service as an Eviction Prevention VISTA, she is learning just as much about herself as she is about community resources. Read about Ezella’s AmeriCorps project »

Positions in our network will begin between June and August 2023.

View summer & full-year positions »

Spring into Action to Tell Congress #CutsHurt

President Biden and congressional leaders are continuing negotiations to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. The nation could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if they do not reach an agreement. Despite the likely harm posed by a default,  House Republicans say they will only lift the debt ceiling in exchange for steep cuts to domestic programs—including drastic cuts to HUD’s and USDA’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs, which could reduce funding to these programs by as much as 22%.

We're joining the National Low Income Housing Coalition's #CutsHurt campaign to oppose these harmful cuts. Three ways you can join in:

• Email, call, or tweet your members of Congress
• Add your organization to a national budget letter
• Post your work on social media using the hashtag #CutsHurt and tag your members of Congress, @HousingActionIL, and @NLIHC

Meeting with Legislators for Federal Lobby Days

In March, we joined the National Low Income Housing Coalition and others for a lobby day in D.C. to discuss opposing cuts to housing in federal spending bills and increasing support for critical resources to prevent homelessness and expand affordable housing. In April, we worked with our Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign partners to hold additional meetings with Congressional staffers on these same issues.

IL CRA Update

Thank you to the 77 signatories from across the state who signed on to our IL CRA Coalition comment letter on the state’s proposed rules to implement the new IL Community Reinvestment Act (IL CRA). Please visit the IL CRA Coalition webpage to view this letter and find other materials and resources regarding our state and federal CRA policy efforts. 

Report Shows Extreme Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes in Illinois

The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, a report released each year in Illinois by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and Housing Action Illinois, finds only 34 affordable, available rental homes per 100 extremely low-income renter households in Illinois. Read more »

Thanks to Representative Bill Foster and staffers for Representatives Casten and Scheider for meeting with Housing Action staff & fellow advocates during #NLIHCforum23 lobby day

Uplifting the Community: HANA Center

Many people who come to HANA Center in need of housing assistance know there are programs that could help, but don’t know specifics or how to apply. HANA Center currently offers all their forms in English, Spanish, and Korean in an effort to make vital information more accessible. Without translated housing program materials, clients “couldn’t know the details about the program. That’s how we came to know that there was a huge barrier to information access, and we developed our program from there,” says Jeonghwa Yi Boyle, Citizenship, Immigration, Legal & Housing Services Director.

Learn more about HANA Center's housing counseling program »

The HANA Center Housing Team