During our annual Housing Matters Conference in October, we returned in person for the first time in two years and celebrated our 35th anniversary. More than 250 participants joined us in Bloomington, IL to hear from experts and build relationships. In addition to plenaries and breakout workshops, we networked and toasted to our long history of wins for affordable housing at a 35th Anniversary Gala Dinner.

Thank you to all of the speakers, sponsors, supporters, and conference participants who made the conference a success.

View presentation materials and photos »

Housing Action Illinois Board of Directors

As a statewide coalition, all of Housing Action's work is done in community and for communities. During 2021, together with our member organizations and allies, we achieved significant wins in our work to expand affordable housing and end homelessness in Illinois. Whether passing critical legislation or training housing counselors, educating key decisionmakers or enabling an organization to expand programming with the help of an AmeriCorps Member, our work was done in collaboration—and with the goal of creating an Illinois where all communities can thrive.

Read our 2021 Annual Report »

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced in early November that the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) is now open to support qualified homeowners who need help with past-due mortgage payments and related expenses due to financial hardships associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible households may apply for grants of up to $60,000 for past-due mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance and homeowner and/or condo association fees. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.

Learn more or join an info session »

Help Us Reach 2,000 Signers in Support of Housing and Community Development Funding

Housing Action Illinois is supporting the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding's efforts to get 2,000 organizational signers on a letter urging House and Senate leaders to ensure affordable housing and community development programs receive the highest funding possible in fiscal year 2023.

The federal government has been operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) since October 1, and we are losing out on proposed funding increases needed to respond to increasing costs in the housing market. Our end goal is to maximize funding for all federal housing programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, homeless assistance funding, homeownership programs, housing counseling, fair housing, and legal assistance for people facing eviction.

Add your organization now »

Housing Action Illinois Chosen for Opportunity Starts at Home Cohort

Housing Action is proud to continue as part of the Opportunity Starts at Home cohort for 2022-2023. We are among 11 state-based organizations that have been awarded capacity building grants to continue advancing the national campaign’s policy solutions to expand rental assistance, increase the supply of affordable housing, and create a permanent emergency assistance program. This funding supports multi-sector efforts to build partnerships with organizations focused on health, education, civil rights, food security, climate, faith, anti-poverty, and more.

Learn With Us

This winter, we're offering a new training to help housing counselors identify key challenges of financial sustainability, demonstrate a program's value, show accountability to funders, and promote community engagement. We're also revisiting a core training on what housing counselors need to know to help clients facing bankruptcy. Register today:

• How to Make Your Case for Funding Your Program (Dec. 6): Register
• Bankruptcy: What Housing Counselors Need to Know (Dec. 8): Register

Stay tuned for our lineup of 2023 trainings, which we'll announce soon!

Congratulations to Access Living on $8 Million Gift

Housing Action Illinois member and HUD Intermediary affiliate Access Living has announced an $8 million gift from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Access Living is a leading disability service and advocacy nonprofit, run and led by disabled people. The donation is the single largest contribution it has received from an individual donor in its 42-year history of providing critical services and breaking down the systemic barriers people with disabilities confront daily in the city, state and nationwide. The organization will use the unrestricted funds to advance strategic priorities including economic opportunity, racial and health equity, greater community-based supports, and digital inclusion.

Learn more »

Get Ready to Apply 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. Our AmeriCorps VISTA positions have worked on all of these projects and more!

Housing Action Illinois' AmeriCorps Network places both full-year AmeriCorps VISTA Members and Summer Associates with organizations around the state. These AmeriCorps positions focus on projects that will build the organization's capacity to fight poverty in their community. Host organizations identify and design the projects to create, launch, update, or expand programs such as volunteer recruitment, resource development, and community organizing.

Host site applications will be available starting in December. Have questions? Contact Willie Heineke, our National Service Program Manager, to learn more.

Housing Action Illinois

Join our team! Housing Action Illinois is currently seeking a National Service Program Associate to support and coordinate all aspects of our current AmeriCorps program and any additional national service programs we may adopt. At least one term of AmeriCorps VISTA service experience is required, as is experience working within the nonprofit environment. Apply today »