Housing Action will distribute subgrants to 35 housing counseling organizations and facilitate national trainings for agencies
For Immediate Release: January 31, 2022
Contact: Kristin Ginger, Manager of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois, kristin@housingactionil.org or 312-854-3333
CHICAGO, IL – HUD has awarded a combined $1,579,336 to Housing Action Illinois to support housing counseling agencies through subgrants, program support, and trainings. Housing counselors offer free education for clients buying or renting a home, facing foreclosure or eviction, seeking reverse mortgages, or working to budget, rebuild credit, and attain financial stability.
Housing Action Illinois will distribute subgrants to 35 housing counseling agencies, listed below, from its Comprehensive Housing Counseling Program award of $1,409,582. These subgrantees serve communities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri. In addition to providing affiliates with financial support, Housing Action assists the agencies with administrative functions and offers training and one-on-one guidance.
“Our partnership with Housing Action Illinois and the funding we receive from HUD because of that partnership has allowed CSC to expand our reach into our community to help those in need,” stated Robert Kalnicky, Executive Director of Community Service Council of Northern Will County. “The past few years have provided their own unique challenges and Housing Action has been with us through all of the challenges as we continue to be a resource in our community for homeowners, potential homeowners, and tenants.”
For the first time, Housing Action Illinois will also receive a HUD Training Award. The additional $169,754 will enable Housing Action to provide a robust lineup of virtual trainings to help housing counseling agencies become more effective, expand their programs, and develop staff skills to meet changing needs.
“We are proud to become one of just six organizations in the nation to receive a HUD Training Award,” said David Young, Housing Action’s Director of Capacity Building. “This is an exciting step for us. Housing counselors are key to stable communities; in addition to helping first-time homebuyers realize their dreams, housing counselors are on the frontlines supporting individuals and families facing foreclosure, eviction, and financial instability. We have been facilitating trainings for housing counselors for years—this will help us broaden our reach.”
In order to support community residents, housing counselors must keep up to date on a wide range of topics, such as how to access down payment assistance programs, manage mortgage delinquency, and avoid discriminatory or predatory lending practices. Regular trainings are essential for them to share the most current knowledge with their clients.
In Fiscal Year 2021, Housing Action Illinois’ network of subgrantees helped 11,047 clients. This included assisting 1,150 in purchasing homes, supporting 6,095 in developing a sustainable budget, and connecting 4,251 with resources such as down payment assistance or rental assistance to improve their housing situation.
HUD Housing Counseling Intermediary Affiliates 2021 – 2022
- Access Living – Chicago, IL
- Advantage Housing, Inc. – Kokomo, IN
- Bridging Communities – Detroit, MI
- CDBG Operations Corporation – E. St. Louis, IL
- CEDA – Chicago, IL
- C.E.F.S. – Effingham, IL
- Center for Changing Lives – Chicago, IL
- Central Detroit Christian CDC – Detroit, MI
- Community Investment Corporation (CIC) of Decatur – Decatur, IL
- Community Service Council of Northern Will County – Bolingbrook, IL
- Cornerstone Community Development Corporation– Ford Heights, IL
- Embarras River Basin Agency – Greenup, IL
- Far South Community Development Corporation (formerly Genesis Housing Development Corporation) – Chicago, IL
- Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County – Champaign, IL
- H.O.M.E. DuPage – Wheaton, IL
- HOPE of Evansville – Evansville, IN
- Housing Opportunities – Valparaiso, IN
- Housing Opportunity Development Corporation – Techny, IL
- The Housing Partnership, Inc. – St. Louis, MO
- The Journey Forward – Chicago, IL
- Justine Petersen, Inc. – St. Louis, MO
- Kingdom Community – Chicago, IL
- Lake County Housing Authority – Grayslake, IL
- Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) – Chicago, IL
- Menard County Housing Authority – Petersburg, IL
- METEC – Peoria, IL
- Northside Community Development Corporation – Chicago, IL
- Oak Park Regional Housing Center – Oak Park, IL
- Open Communities – Evanston, IL
- Respond Now – Chicago Heights, IL
- Restoration America – Crystal Lake, IL
- South Suburban Housing Center – Homewood, IL
- Springfield Housing Authority – Springfield, IL
- Total Resource Community Development Corporation – Chicago, IL
- YWCA of Metro Chicago – Chicago, IL
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About Housing Action Illinois
Housing Action Illinois is a statewide coalition that has been leading the movement to protect and expand the availability of quality, affordable housing in Illinois for 35 years. Our 160+ member organizations include housing counseling agencies, homeless service providers, developers of affordable housing, and policymakers. We bring everyone together to work toward our vision of an Illinois where everyone has a stable, good home.