October 17–18, 2024
Bloomington, IL

DoubleTree by Hilton | 10 Brickyard Drive, Bloomington, IL 61701

Registration is now closed.

About the Conference

Each year, Housing Action Illinois brings together as many as 350 housing professionals who care about expanding and protecting affordable housing and ending homelessness in Illinois. Together, we build expertise, experience, and the capacity to make our communities better.

Join us to spark connections, get the latest updates, & share ideas as we work together to create an Illinois where everyone has a good, affordable home.

The conference is held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, Illinois.

Plenary Sessions & Member Meeting

We’re excited to bring everyone together for opening and closing plenary sessions, as well as our annual membership meeting.

For 2024 Housing Matters, we look forward to kicking off our conference with opening keynote speaker David Berenbaum, HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling.

We are also eager to end on a high note with an elected officials roundtable on affordable housing supply, which will feature:

  • Councilmember Bobby Burns from the City of Evanston
  • Mboka Mwilambwe, Mayor of Bloomington
  • Julie Moore Wolfe, Mayor of Decatur

View full program →

woman speaking on a panel at conference

Breakout Workshops

Each year, we bring breakout workshops related to public policy advocacy, ending homelessness, housing counseling, and affordable housing development.

This year, join us to learn about the following:*

  • Affordable Housing & Homelessness 101
  • Our State Plan to Prevent & End Homelessness
  • Homelessness & Harm Reduction
  • Community Safety Through Stable Homes Act
  • Code Enforcement as a Tool for Safe, Equitable, and Affordable Housing
  • Responding to the Supreme Court Decision on Property Tax Delinquencies
  • Implications of the Supreme Court Decision to Criminalize Unsheltered Homelessness
  • Fix Our Homes Illinois: Resources for Senior Home Repair
  • Peoria’s Flexible Rent Spending Pilot Program
  • Revenue Generation Through Rural Development Loan Packaging
  • Empowering First-Time Homebuyers on Buyer Agent Negotiations
  • Helping Homeowners Navigate the Reconsideration of Value Process
  • Offering HECM Origination Counseling
  • The Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit for Developers
  • Accessibility & Sustainability Requirements in Affordable Housing Design
  • Illinois Community Reinvestment Act
  • Workplace Conflict Resolution 101
  • Bloomington Community Tour

* Subject to change

View full program →

Reception & Networking

We celebrate recent wins and accomplishments at our Thursday evening reception. Join us to relax, unwind, and meet colleagues working to expand affordable housing and end homelessness in Illinois.

Photo of white man in suit, smiling slightly, in front of American flag

David Berenbaum

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling, HUD

David Berenbaum serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Office of Housing Counseling’s mission is to ensure that families have the knowledge they need to obtain, sustain, and retain their housing via HUD’s network of over 1,650 housing counseling agencies and their Certified Housing Counselors. The Program’s far-reaching outcomes annually impact over one million consumers and support numerous departmental programs, including the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family housing program. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Berenbaum collaborates with HUD’s leadership, professional staff, and partners to provide high impact services to ensure that every American has a place to call home and the ability to achieve their financial dreams.

Opening Keynote Session: Thursday @ 10:00am

Councilmember Bobby Burns

City of Evanston

Bobby Burns, Councilmember for Evanston’s 5th Ward, has built a reputation as a passionate advocate for affordable housing. Throughout his tenure, Burns has been at the forefront of the city’s most significant housing initiatives, including negotiating a $30 million commitment to affordable housing as part of Northwestern University’s Football Stadium Rebuild Agreement—the largest contribution to affordable housing in Evanston’s history. As the founder and chair of the Here to Stay Committee, Burns brought together housing advocates, developers, real estate professionals, and those facing housing insecurity—groups that sometimes find themselves on opposite sides of an issue. By fostering collaboration, Burns enabled these stakeholders to benefit from each other’s expertise in service of a common goal: making Evanston more affordable. The committee works to preserve affordable housing and partners with the faith community to leverage underutilized properties for new affordable housing developments. Together, they are making strides toward creating a more inclusive and vibrant community.

Closing Plenary Session: Friday @ 11:45am

Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe

City of Bloomington

Mboka Mwilambwe was first appointed to the City Council in 2011 to serve out the term of the previous City Councilmember for Ward 3. Mboka was then elected to the position in 2013. After a successful campaign, Mboka was elected as Mayor of Bloomington in 2021. Mboka was born in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), the youngest of seven children. While he was growing up, Mboka’s family moved to the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and the Republic of Congo. It is through those experiences that Mboka began to appreciate the differences in all human beings and value what those differences can bring to the table. Mboka completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Illinois State University before enrolling in the university’s Graduate School of Education. He has been employed by ISU since 1997. Mboka and his wife Stacey are the parents of four beautiful children.

Closing Plenary Session: Friday @ 11:45am

Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe

City of Decatur

Julie Moore Wolfe is the Mayor of Decatur, a position she has held since 2015. She is a Past President of the Illinois Municipal League and currently serves on the IML Board. She was twice elected to the Decatur City Council before assuming the role as Mayor. Wolfe’s professional career began in Journalism. She anchored local television news for nearly 15 years in Texas and Illinois. She then assumed the position of Chamber of Commerce President in Decatur. A career move took her to the State of Illinois, where she oversaw the governor’s downstate economic development program “Opportunity Returns.” In 2008, she moved into the healthcare industry and has held various positions serving Decatur’s two hospitals, including Community & Government Affairs, Marketing Executive Director, Physician Recruitment, and currently is the Director of Philanthropy and Community Relations at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital. Wolfe has always been an active community volunteer, leading and serving on many boards. In addition to IML, she is active in Rotary, Elevate Illinois, a member of the Governor’s Local Journalism Task Force, the Central Illinois Regional Dispatch Center Board, Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce Board, and Decatur Community Partnership Board. She and her husband, Doug Wolfe, have three adult children, and enjoy boating and attending concerts.

Closing Plenary Session: Friday @ 11:45am

Schedule & Program

Schedule At-A-Glance

Thursday, October 17

  • 8:30 am – Registration & Continental Breakfast
  • 10:00 am – Opening Keynote: The State of Play & Priorities at HUD with David Berenbaum
  • 11:45 am – Membership Meeting & Luncheon
  • 1:30 pm – Breakout Workshop I
  • 3:15 pm – Breakout Workshop II
  • 5:00 pm – Reception

Friday, October 18

  • 7:30 am – Registration & Continental Breakfast
  • 8:30 am – Breakout Workshop III
  • 10:15 am – Breakout Workshop IV
  • 11:30 am – Lunch & Closing Plenary: Elected Officials Roundtable: Local Strategies to Increase the Supply of Housing
  • 1:30 pm – End of Day

Register

Register today to join us! We’ve sold out in recent years—sign up now to secure your spot.

Become a Member

Join our movement to create good, affordable homes for everyone in Illinois.

Our 190+ members include nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and corporations, united by the vision of an Illinois where everyone has a good, stable place to call home.

Logistics & Lodging

DoubleTree by Hilton

The conference will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, Illinois (10 Brickyard Drive).

To reserve rooms at the discounted rate of $133 + tax, call 309-664-6446 and let the staff know you’re participating in the Housing Action Illinois conference or make your reservation online using this link →

The DoubleTree is approximately 12 minutes by car from Uptown Station in Normal and approximately 10 minutes from the Bloomington/Normal Airport. Taxi cabs and ride-hailing services are usually available from both the station and airport.

Map your route →

Overflow Hotel

Unfortunately, rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton during the night of Thursday, October 17 are no longer available. A limited number of rooms are still available for the night of Wednesday, October 16.

Our overflow hotel for conference participants is the Eastland Suites, located at 1801 Eastland Drive, just 2.3 miles from the DoubleTree.

To reserve rooms at discounted rates ranging from $139 to $169 + tax, call 309-662-0000 and let the staff know you’re participating in the Housing Action Illinois conference, or make your reservation online here using the code 5899.

Getting There

The conference will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, Illinois (10 Brickyard Drive).

The DoubleTree is approximately 12 minutes by car from Uptown Station in Normal and approximately 10 minutes from the Bloomington/Normal Airport. Taxi cabs and ride-hailing services are usually available from both the station and airport.

We will provide shuttle service to the DoubleTree from our overflow hotel accommodations (see below).

Map your route →

Requests for Accommodations

Please submit all requests for reasonable accommodations when registering for the conference. We will do our best to meet all requests regardless of when they are submitted, but to ensure that your request can be met, we ask that you let us know by August 30, 2024 by filling out the form linked in your registration confirmation email or emailing us at communications@housingactionil.org.

2024 Sponsorship Opportunities

Our thanks to the generous sponsors who make our conference possible.

Interested in joining us?

Learn about sponsorship opportunities →

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsors

Old National Bank

Bronze Sponsors

Cinnaire logo with tagline "advancing communities"

Friends & Exhibitors

Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

Second Federal / Self-Help Federal Credit Union

Previous Conferences

Thank you to the nearly 350 participants who joined us in 2023 to hear from experts, dig into critical issues, and build relationships .