housing action illinois
2025 Year in review
building a future where every Illinoisan has a safe, affordable, home.
This year, we reached a major milestone: our coalition is now more than 200 members strong.
Together, we work across the full spectrum of housing needs:
While also advancing overarching initiatives to:
Growing our membership is about more than just numbers.
It’s about our collective voice, reach, and impact.
As our coalition grows, so does our collective ability to:
Amplify community Voices
Showing legislators that we stand united for affordable housing and homelessness solutions.
Strengthen our Field
Identifying trends, delivering trainings, and advancing reforms to meet community needs.
Share critical Resources
Creating opportunities for collaboration, funding, and capacity-building across organizations.
Drive Long-Term Change
Laying the groundwork for policies and investments that expand housing for years to come.
We’ve been leading the movement to end homelessness and expand affordable housing in Illinois for nearly 40 years.
Our focus is, and has always been, low-income households. We want to create an Illinois where all residents, particularly people with the lowest incomes, have a voice in housing policy and community development.
In 2025, new and alarming federal challenges only made it clearer that progress depends on partnership. In moments of uncertainty and opposition, coming together across regions and sectors strengthens our ability to respond, adapt, and advocate.
Our work continues until every community in Illinois provides housing options that are stable, affordable, and within reach for all.
below is a glimpse of how we worked toward that vision in 2025.
ending Homelessness
Protecting Programs & Strengthening Local Response
We advocated to protect the federal, state, and local resources that help people experiencing homelessness. We also educated, organized, and supported direct service organizations working to run critical programs in our communities, from emergency shelters to permanent supportive housing.
When proposed federal HUD cuts threatened essential programs in January, we mobilized hundreds of advocates, amplified local stories in the media, supported people with lived experience in participating in local responses, and met with congressional staff.
We are helping lead statewide efforts urging HUD to renew existing grants rather than slash funding for permanent supportive housing and restructure programs.
We hosted regular convenings and emergency briefings to keep providers informed and coordinated, collaborated on lobby days in Springfield and D.C., and regularly traveled to D.C. to meet federal legislators and national partners.
At the state level, we defended critical investments to prevent and end homelessness and successfully advocated to eliminate match grant requirements for providers. In November, despite state funding reductions elsewhere, $7 million in one-time funding was committed to support 1,400+ additional emergency shelter beds this winter across approximately 60 agencies statewide.
At our Housing Matters Conference, national and local leaders—including Ann Oliva (National Alliance to End Homelessness) and Christine Haley (Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness)—reminded us that advocacy rooted in community experience remains essential, and we provided scholarships to people with lived experience to attend the conference.
ramping up federal advocacy
Federal decisions are shaping homelessness policy in Illinois like never before. In response, Housing Action expanded our advocacy work—adding a Housing Policy Organizer to our team and leading informational sessions, lobby days, legislator meetings, and increasing media outreach to influence decision makers.
Rallying Bipartisan Support to Prevent Disruption in Homelessness Funding
We secured bipartisan support from IL legislators, spearheaded a letter with nearly 300 organization signatories, and spoke up in the media. This pressing issue has been covered by a number of media outlets, including ABC NewsChannel 20/WICS and the Chicago Sun-Times.
expanding affordable
rental housing
Policy Wins, Research, & Community Education
We advocated for tax incentives that help create and preserve affordable rental homes, as well as state bills to protect tenants. We also published research to equip advocates and presented in communities to educate renters directly. We pushed back against federal threats to vital programs that support low-income renters.
We helped secure the extension of a program that provides property tax incentives to preserve and create affordable rental units.
We educated community members about protections against source of income discrimination.
We advocated for bills to protect renters from excessive move-in and “junk” fees and to prevent evictions over 911 calls or other alleged "nuisance" activity; though these bills didn’t advance, we will continue advocacy in 2026.
Throughout the year, we opposed federal proposals to cut HUD funding and programs that support housing stability.
We also published reports to equip communities with data and tools to advance solutions. This year’s research—including Not Even a Place in Line and our joint releases of a statewide analysis of crime-free and nuisance ordinances, Out of Reach, and The Gap—position advocates to push for fairer, more effective housing systems.
reports on rental issues
Learn more and read the reports.
community education for renters
We continued our work to help educate Illinoisans about source of income (SOI) protections by presenting at community education events in Niles, DeKalb, Palatine, and Kane County. 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 rental subsidies, Social Security, retirement income, and public assistance.
Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program in action
Now extended through 2034, AHSAP uses property tax incentives to preserve and create affordable rental homes.
National Spotlight on Harmful Local Housing Ordinances in Illinois
The New York Times harmful Illinois ordinances allowing eviction over 911 calls or alleged “nuisance” activity without evidence. Our Policy Director Bob Palmer and the Community Safety Through Stable Homes Coalition informed the story and connected the reporter with impacted residents. We advocated for reform on so-called “crime-free housing and nuisance ordinances” and will continue in 2026.
Promoting Sustainable Homeownership
Supporting Housing Counselors & Advocating for Reforms
Through our Housing Action Counseling Network, we continued to strengthen the field of housing counseling and support thousands of households on their path to home stability. Housing counselors, who provide unbiased and usually free education for community members, are an essential but often overlooked part of Illinois’ housing ecosystem. We also advocated for property tax reforms to protect vulnerable homeowners.
Provided resources and administrative support to 34 housing counseling agencies across 6 states and D.C., a network that collectively helped more than 12,500 households understand their housing options in FY24.
Trained 600+ housing counselors nationwide in 28 workshops.
Helped finalize a nationwide housing counseling data set to support collaboration between agencies and mortgage industry partners.
Successfully advocated to delay the Cook County tax sale to allow time for equity-preserving reform.
We also supported housing counselors in offering education and advice to emerging homebuyers through the Homeownership Stability Initiative.
We helped educate and brief decision makers on the need for additional funding for housing counseling in Illinois communities and supported efforts that led to FHLBank of Chicago providing $3,150,000 to IHDA through its Community First® Housing Counseling Resource Program.
Together, these efforts help ensure that when households are ready to take the next step, trained and trusted counselors are ready to walk with them.
guiding partners through hud reviews
This past year, Housing Action helped 13 housing counseling agencies successful undergo federal monitoring and approval. In addition to offering advice and support, our staff review files and make sure everything is in order.
Economic Growth Corporation recently completed its HUD performance review—a process that can often feel intimidating but is essential to ensure we meet our obligations to the communities we serve. This year, our partnership with Housing Action Illinois proved to be a tremendous advantage, especially as we transitioned to HAI as our new intermediary.
[Housing Action Capacity Building Specialist Wanda Collins] worked closely with our Housing Department, reviewing client files and providing clear, actionable guidance that helped us prepare effectively. Her support ensured that our team was confident and well-positioned for success, resulting in an updated HUD-approved counseling certificate with zero findings.
the power of tech in housing counseling
This year, a couple of Housing Action’s efforts to help modernize housing counseling came to fruition. After eight years of work from Housing Action’s Director of Capacity Building David Young and partners, MISMO published a housing counseling data set to streamline communications between agencies and the mortgage industry. Meanwhile, My Path to Home, an online platform we developed to connect individuals and families with essential housing counseling services, went national.
program manager bootcamp
In June, we hosted our first in-person housing counselor training in 5+ years—bringing together 48 participants from 13 states in Milwaukee for our Program Manager Bootcamp, a brand new training developed by Housing Action.
The trainings are amazing, and I really appreciate that we can apply for scholarships. Not all agencies have the resources to pay for training, so it’s truly a blessing that Housing Action Illinois provides [scholarship] opportunities for us to continue learning and become better equipped to serve our clients and communities. I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunities you’ve given me.
Unjust Property Tax Sales Displacing Seniors
In Cook County, tax sales are driving home loss, especially for seniors. Since 2019, 1,000+ owner-occupied homes (125+ owned by seniors) have been lost, sometimes over debts of just a few hundred dollars. In 2025, we advocated for legislation to protect vulnerable homeowners. Read the coverage from the Chicago Sun-Times, Injustice Watch, and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity.
speaking up in the media
Our Director of Capacity Building David Young authored an an op-ed in The Progressive Magazine, Cutting Housing Counseling is a Grave Mistake, in response to proposed HUD budgets that would gut housing counseling.
Educating & Equipping Communities
Fostering Collaboration & Partnering on National Service
Housing Action Corps, our AmeriCorps VISTA program, continued to grow and strengthen local organizations’ capacity to serve their communities. During a full year of service, VISTA members help their host organization to expand programs, improve systems, and deepen community impact. We also hosted regional gatherings to educate community-based organizations, held our annual conference, launched new efforts to help organizations understand and benefit from the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act, and continued our work in Cairo, IL.
In 2024–2025, Housing Action Corps members served at 26 organizations in Illinois and beyond. They raised $1.4 million, engaged 527 volunteers, and connected 1,789 households with housing services.
We launched new efforts to help organizations understand and benefit from the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act.
We continued to strategize ways to stimulate housing development in Cairo, Illinois.
Our Housing Matters Conference brought together 315 participants from across the state to learn, strategize, and share solutions.
We traveled to every region of Illinois to meet with local partners, learn, and provide support. In gatherings that ranged from small-group conversations on aging in place and senior home repair resources to our annual conference, which brought together 315 participants from 164 organizations, we shared ideas, sparked connections, and worked together to move forward on key issues.
equipped to partner with local lenders
We hosted in-person IL CRA Roundtables to bring together community-based organizations and financial institutions; presented at an informational webinar to inform credit unions about their new obligations under the law; and published a toolkit for non-profits with guidance on building partnerships with local lenders. Learn more at the IL CRA Coalition website.
…ERBA’s budget was cut back by 1/3 due to a grant running out of funding. I was upset at first but then looked upon this as an opportunity to reach out to my local lenders for support. I sent out 82 emails ERBA’s nine county lenders at their main office and to the branch office. The email included an infographic of the work that we do at ERBA, the outcomes, and a testimony…and I asked how could I help them reach their CRA goals. I did also meet with several in person to discuss their CRA goals. I received several donations, [ranging] from $500 to sponsor a webinar…to a $1000 a year commitment for 5 years.
building future housing leaders
Our 2025–2026 cohort includes 42 VISTA members at 31 organizations across 7 states—our largest yet.
34% of our 2024-2025 VISTA cohort were hired at their host sites. We caught up with three of them to hear how their new positions are going.
What does a service year look like?
During a year of full-time service, our AmeriCorps members take on a wide range of projects.
Continuing our Cairo Initiative
2025 was Housing Action’s third year working with the City of Cairo to grow their capacity for housing development. This year, we got direct feedback from the citizens of Cairo about their vision for housing in their city, and received funding from the State Office to Prevent and End Homelessness that will allow us to partner with the Southern Illinois Community Foundation for grant resources. Learn more in our 2025 Cairo initiative update.
looking ahead
we remain steadfast.
As we move into 2026, we are resolved to meet the challenges that come our way, and to defend and protect our partners and our accomplishments.
Even when the work is hard, we are in this together.
Thank you to all the members, partners, and supporters who make our work possible.
how you can help:
Regardless of what happens in the halls of power, we move forward. We show up every day and refuse to be paralyzed by confusion and uncertainty, because the work we do matters.
These moments test us, but they also create opportunities—to unite, reaffirm our missions, and demand that elected officials and other decision makers prioritize equitable access to safe, affordable housing.
Whatever comes next, Housing Action will be here, standing with you, finding the best path forward—together.
Sharon Legenza
Executive Director, Housing Action Illinois