See You at Our Annual Toast to Housing Justice

We're getting together on March 26 to eat, drink, and stand up for housing justice, and you're invited! Let's get out of the office, relax with friends and family, and place bids on some special gifts from our large selection of silent auction and raffle items. A few highlights include:

• Tickets to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, White Sox
• Certificates to get pampered at Aveda Institute, Marianne Strokirk Salon, Float Sixty 
• Passes for the Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck Chicago, First Ascent Climbing, Chicago Skydiving Center

Policy Focus

Governor Pritzker Proposes Fair Tax for Illinois

Housing Action Illinois joins our Responsible Budget Coalition partners in applauding Governor JB Pritzker's push for a Fair Tax for Illinois. Because our state constitution requires a flat income tax, Illinois has been unable to adequately support areas that strengthen communities, including education, healthcare and housing. A more just tax system is long overdue, and we will continue to work with the Responsible Budget Coalition to push for this change, which is critical to put Illinois on a path to fiscal health.

Trump Administration's Harmful FY20 Budget Proposal

President Trump's FY2020 budget proposal, released earlier this week, proposes drastic cuts to housing benefits that help millions of low-income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, veterans, and other vulnerable Illinoisans. It proposes to cut HUD funding by $9.6 billion, or 18%, which would mean deep cuts or elimination of essential programs such as the national Housing Trust Fund, public housing capital repairs, and the Housing Choice Voucher program. Please urge your legislators to reject this budget, which would push families deeper into poverty and increase homelessness.

Help Expand Opportunities to Seal Eviction Records

Having an eviction court filing on your record can be a serious obstacle to finding housing. Too often, people do not understand that an eviction filing does not mean someone was actually evicted. Illinois currently has an extremely strict standard for sealing eviction records, and a record is usually publicly available even when a case was dismissed, a tenant successfully defended against the eviction, or a tenant was evicted through no fault of their own. This is why we are proposing a law that will expand opportunities to seal tenant eviction records to help people secure a home.

Spread the Word About Fair Housing 

Fair housing is crucial for fair communities and creating fair opportunities for all. April is National Fair Housing Month, and this year we want all of Illinois to know why it's important. To do that, we need your help. We're creating a Fair Housing Month tool kit, with pre-written social media posts, e-blasts, flyers, and graphics. All you have to do is copy, paste, and post—it's that simple! 

Sign up to receive our free Fair Housing Month tool kit here. You'll receive the full tool kit the last week of March, as well as instructions for how to post (if you need them!).

Let's Get Certified

August 2020 sounds far away, but it isn't. If you're a housing counselor, now is the time to be thinking about your HUD certification exam. Housing Action's Wanda Collins is hosting the fourth round of the Online Study Group from April 22-29 to help counselors prepare. Each meeting focuses on a different section of the exam, meaning you'll get a deep dive into the key points of each module. Wanda will help teach you vital test information, quiz you on what you've learned, and answer your most pressing questions about the exam.

Extending a Helping Hand

"I felt a weight lifted up until that time, it felt like I had been carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders," said Curt Everly in a recent NPR Illinois article on the benefits of his participation in a trauma support group organized by Housing Action Illinois member organization, Helping Hands of Springfield. "What a lot of people don't realize about homelessness is it's very isolating," said Executive Director Erica Smith. "This is in some ways their community and family, and to give them the opportunity to have a safe place to connect with each other in a healthy way – that's incredible."