Each year, Housing Action Illinois works at both the state and federal levels on a broad range of issues aligned with our core mission of creating an Illinois where everyone has a good, affordable place to call home. 

Housing was a higher profile issue than usual during the 2026 Illinois General Assembly session. Governor Pritzker’s BUILD proposal to support missing middle housing, an eight-bill affordable housing package from Senate Democrats, and growing public concern about affordability all kept housing in the spotlight during this year’s legislative debates. For most households, housing is their single largest monthly expense.

While actively supporting the BUILD proposal, Housing Action Illinois maintained our focus on the needs of people experiencing homelessness and others with the greatest affordability challenges. We’re glad to report that we, along with our partners and allies, achieved notable successes on these issues during the session, even though debate on BUILD and other proposals continues.

There are many ways you can get involved—you can help support this work by learning more, sharing this wrap up to help others learn more, signing up for our emails, making a donation, or becoming an organizational member.

Together, we can create an Illinois where everyone has a stable, affordable place to call home.

• Budget Breakdown
  • Rejection of Cuts to HOME Illinois
  • Progressive Revenue Increases Not Enough
  • Budget Wins from Our Partners and Allies
• Major Tax Reforms Will Help Homeowners Keep Equity and Their Homes
• Rental Affordability and Fee Transparency Act Passes
• More Good Bills That Passed
• Still in Progress

Budget Breakdown

General Assembly Rejects Proposed Cut to HOME Illinois

As the result of significant advocacy and education, the General Assembly rejected the proposed $10 million cut to the HOME Illinois Program to prevent and end homelessness and kept funding at the current level of $263.7 million.

Some tried to rationalize the cut by pointing to a lower demand for services. We pushed back, noting in the press and elsewhere that the State of Illinois’ own HOME Illinois plan has identified a shortage of 4,236 shelter beds, 10,428 rapid rehousing units, and 10,972 permanent supportive housing units in Illinois. More resources are needed to address these shortages.

We were disappointed that there was a $1.4 million reduction for the Supportive MI Housing line item that helps pay for services in supportive housing for people with severe mental illness.

Requests from our allies that were not funded included an increase for the Housing is Recovery Pilot Program to $10 million, as well as a funding request from the Home for Good Coalition to improve housing and support services for people returning from prison.

During the upcoming year and beyond, we will continue to advocate for the spending increases necessary to fully realize the goals of the HOME Illinois plan. Thank you to the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Illinois Shelter Alliance, and the Supportive Housing Providers Association for partnering on this work, as well as all the organizations and individuals participating in their local Continuum of Care Network who advocated with us. Thanks also to State Representative Lindsey LaPointe and State Senator Adriane Johnson for being our lead champions in their respective chambers.

Budget Supported by Some Progressive Revenue Increases But Not Enough

As a member of the Illinois Revenue Alliance, we are pleased with the creation of a digital advertising tax that should bring in more than $1 billion in revenue to the state each year, as well as removal of one Trump-era tax break from our state tax code. However, the General Assembly should have done more, including full decoupling from all recent federal tax reductions for the wealthy and passing a billionaire wealth tax. Read the Illinois Revenue Alliance statement on passage of the FY27 state budget » 

Budget Wins from Our Partners and Allies

The Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit was extended for 10 years, with the annual allocation increase raised from 5% to 10%. Led by the Illinois Housing Council (IHC), this change —starting with $1.9 million in FY27—is estimated by IHC to help fund 9,856 new affordable rental homes over 5 years, including 1,341 additional homes beyond what would have been produced under the current growth rate. Passed as part of the revenue omnibus bill, these changes were originally included in legislation sponsored by Senator Mike Porfirio (SB 3738) and Representative Dee Avelar (HB 4413).

The capital budget included $250 million for missing middle and affordable housing programs, originally proposed by Governor Pritzker as part of the BUILD proposal. We also supported this as part of advocacy on the BUILD legislative package. Funding is allocated across housing development ($100 million), related infrastructure improvements ($100 million), and down payment assistance for homebuyers ($50 million).

Schools serving students and families experiencing homelessness received new state funding, with a $2 million increase for local public school districts and $2.5 million for state-funded universities. The Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, working with Representative Laura Faver Dias and others, successfully advocated for this funding.

Major Tax Sale Reforms to Help Homeowners Keep Their Equity and Their Homes

HB 4537: Chief Sponsors: Senator Celina Villanueva and Representative Curtis Tarver

This legislation is the most sweeping reform to Illinois’ property tax sale in decades, and passing it represents three years of sustained advocacy by Housing Action Illinois and our partners. 

HB 4537 will put Illinois into compliance with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Tyler v. Hennepin, which found it unconstitutional for states to allow property owners to lose their home without any opportunity to recover remaining equity after the tax debt is paid. The bill creates additional fees paid by private tax buyers to support two different funds to compensate property owners—one for recent claims and another for claims going back as far as ten years. A competitive auction system of properties subject to tax foreclosure will be established and  used to determine compensation for lost equity.

However, additional reforms in the bill should make this an increasingly rare occurrence, including, but not limited to improved notice requirements that encourage people to contact a HUD approved housing counseling agency and increasing the amount of time that residential property owners have to pay back taxes that have been sold from 2.5 years to 3 years. 

Private Tax Buying to be Phased Out in Cook County and Beyond

HB 4537’s most significant step toward addressing the injustices of the tax sale system is ending  private tax buying in Cook County. This will take effect at the seventh tax sale after legislation becomes effective, which should be in 2031. At that time, Cook County will start acquiring all the tax liens that would otherwise be offered to sale to private tax buyers, making paying delinquent taxes more affordable through payment plans, interest fee waivers, and other permissible means made possible by previous state law changes. Other counties will have this option, as well.

Between now and 2031, this bill directs Cook County to establish a pilot program for Cook County to acquire the tax liens for up to 100 homeowners each year, without them ever being offered for sale to private tax buyers. The pilot program will focus on homeowners with the lowest home values as a means of supporting homeowners who are most likely to have the lowest incomes and the most challenges affording their property taxes.

Compensating Homeowners with Existing Claims Still resolved

While HB 4537 does create limited new revenue to help pay past claims for lost equity, an ongoing issue will be determining how to compensate all homeowners and others with past and existing claims. Cook County was recently found liable by the courts for not adequately compensating nearly 2,500 homeowners who lost the actual properties as well as the equity they’d built in those homes after their delinquent property taxes had been sold. Multiple other court cases on this issue continue to be litigated against counties, tax buyers and the State of Illinois. 

Thanks to our legislative champions, Senator Celina Villanueva and Representative Curtis Tarver, for taking the time to pass strong, comprehensive reforms. In addition to the offices of Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, our key partners included AARP, Center for Community Progress, Chicago Community Trust, National Consumer Law Center and Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago.

Read Chicago Tribune coverage on the passage on Tyler v. Hennepin reform in Illinois. Also see previous coverage on how the injustices of the tax sale system, particularly how tax sales have taken wealth and stability from Black homeowners and communities. 

Rental Affordability and Fee Transparency Act Passes

HB 3564: Chief Sponsors: Representative Nabeela Syed and Senator Mike Simmons

This legislation, which passed the General Assembly in April, requires that landlords place all non-optional fees on the first page of the rental agreement, and prohibits 11 different junk fees that are simply unnecessary. The legislation works to ensure that fees are fair and transparent. A “trailer bill,” or subsequent technical bill (HB 5234), changed the effective date of this new law to January 1, 2027. 

Our partners included Law Center for Better Housing, New Moms, Supportive Housing Providers Association, and Uptown People’s Law Center.

To learn more, see Senator Simmons’ press release on passage of the legislation, as well as our fact sheet. Thank you to our chief sponsors and other supporters in the General Assembly. 

More Good Bills That Passed

Additional positive housing-related bills that passed the General Assembly due to the work of others include:

Preventing and Ending Homelessness

• HB 4137: Sponsored by Representative Michelle Mussman and Senator Karina Villa, this bill amends the Education for Homeless Children Act to allow a school district to provide for an extended motel stay for a child who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Homeowner Support

• HB 4273: Sponsored by Representative Thaddeus Jones and Senator Michael Hastings, this legislation prohibits homeowners’ insurance companies from increasing premiums by more than 10% without first notifying the consumer 60 days prior. This gives consumers the necessary time to shop around and find a better rate. The bill prohibits premiums from being excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory. See Senator Hastings’ press release.
• HB 4456: Sponsored by Representative Laura Faver Dias and Senator Adriane Johnson, this legislation protects Illinois’ existing low-income discount rates for electric and gas utility service, expands eligibility for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and stops a 16 cent per bill increase in a rider on gas and electric bills from taking effect in 2027. Advocated for by the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies and Legal Action Chicago.
• SB 3925: Sponsored by Senator Mike Porfirio and Representative Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, this legislation allows locally created Home Equity Assurance Commission to establish a program to provide a one-time per household direct relief payment to a member who owns a residence that is subject to flood damage.
• HB 5449: Sponsored by Representative Rita Mayfield and Senator Robert Martwick, this legislation makes changes to state law to require that condominium and other common interest community association boards provide more easily accessible association business and financial information to homeowners.
• HB 4896: Sponsored by Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz and Senator Robert Martwick, the bill will help a person who has inherited a property with other family members petition for sole ownership, if need be. For example, in cases where only one family member lives in the home, pays the bills and taxes and takes care of it. If one or more other family members has disappeared or just doesn’t engage, the person living in the home is often stuck—they can’t fix up the property, get a loan, or sell it without the permission of others. This legislation solves for this and related situations. Advocated for by Legal Action Chicago.

Protecting Against Discrimination

• SB 3777: Sponsored by Senator Adriane Johnson and Representative Justin Slaughter, this legislation expands “disparate impact” civil rights protections for Illinoisans in the areas of employment, public accommodations, and access to financial credit. These protections related to housing were previously passed into law in 2024 through an effort led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Advocated for the Illinois Department of Human Rights and Disparate Impact Coalition, of which Housing Action Illinois is a member.

Support for Local Governments

• HB4571: Sponsored by Representative Marti Deuter and Senator Laura Ellman, this legislation amends the Counties Code to allow DuPage and Will Counties to invest county financial resources in affordable and missing middle housing.

We encourage Governor Pritzker to sign all the state legislation summarized here into state law.

Still in Progress

Our legislation to restrict local Public Housing Authorities and private owners of federal subsidized housing from implementing a proposed federal rule allowing time limits and work requirements, HB 4377, passed both chambers. However, on the final day of the session, additional good, but unrelated, housing provisions were added to the bill, which has slowed its passage. 

Thanks to Representative Maurice West, Senator Ram Villivalamam and Senator Graciela Guzmán, as well as Impact for Equity, for their work with us on this during the session. All have committed to helping us pass this bill before the end of the 104th General Assembly.

We will also continue to work to pass legislation regulating enforcement of local so-called “crime-free housing and nuisance ordinances” and “camping ban” ordinances that criminalize people experiencing homelessness. We will also work with partners to increase support for Governor Pritzker’s BUILD proposal, particularly by strengthening provisions that promote affordability and protect existing community residents from displacement.

Help us build on this momentum:

• Sign up for our policy alerts
• Get in touch to work on specific campaigns
• Donate to support our work

We’re looking for someone passionate about housing justice to build public understanding of our issues through educational materials, diversify our revenue, and leverage our 40th anniversary year.

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 and end homelessness in Illinois for nearly 40 years. Our 200+ member organizations include housing counseling agencies, homeless service providers, developers of affordable housing, and policymakers. We bring everyone together to work toward an Illinois where everyone has a stable, good home.

Our AmeriCorps VISTA will raise awareness and deepen understanding of affordable housing and homelessness by creating educational materials, updating our website, sharing the impact of our programs, and contributing to both print and digital communications. They will help us collect, document, and celebrate 40 years of impact. Additionally, they will collaborate with our team to identify and apply for funding opportunities, helping us diversify and strengthen our resources.

To achieve these goals, we’re looking for someone who is passionate about housing justice, interested in communications and development, and eager to foster collaboration among housing organizations across Illinois. A competitive candidate will have excellent writing skills, be highly organized and motivated to learn, take initiative, and thrive while managing a wide variety of projects.

Since this position is a part of the larger network of VISTAs serving within Housing Action’s network, you will receive training, support, guidance, and networking opportunities in addition to the traditional opportunities for AmeriCorps VISTA positions. Learn more about the program at Housing Action’s website. This position will start on September 8.

Responsibilities:

• Organize archives, collect oral histories, document accomplishments, and plan ways to celebrate 40 years of impact to leverage Housing Action’s anniversary year.
• Build awareness and understanding of homelessness and affordable housing and our coalition’s role in addressing these issues in Illinois. Projects include updating our website, creating content for newsletters, and developing programmatic videos and animated explainers.
• Expand and diversify our resources in collaboration with staff by identifying and applying to prospective funders and strengthening individual giving campaigns.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree strongly preferred.
• At least 6 months to one year of professional, volunteer, or internship experience in a non-profit or agency setting strongly preferred; previous communications and project management experience preferred.
• Education background in communications, journalism, marketing, political science, or English preferred.
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in web-based research and Microsoft Office. Open to learning website content management and other website training.
• Excellent writing skills, strong attention to detail, and good interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with social media channels desired; familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop) a plus.
• Knowledge of or experience in fundraising and event planning a plus.
• Knowledge of or experience in affordable housing and homelessness a plus.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a one-year position. Full-year AmeriCorps members serving in Illinois in 2026–2027 will receive a living allowance of $24,962 per year, distributed biweekly.

This position offers a $300 monthly stipend for housing, transportation, and/or groceries.

Benefits funded by AmeriCorps VISTA include:

• Forbearance/deferment of student loan payments during term of service
• Non-competitive eligibility status for federal jobs
• Healthcare allowance & special enrollment period
• Leave Days: 10 personal & 10 medical
• If Eligible: Relocation payment (50+ miles)
• If Eligible: Child Care Assistance
• After successful completion of the term, the choice of an Education Award ($7,395) or an End-of-Service Cash Stipend ($1,803)

Hybrid:

This position will be remote for 4 days per week and in the office 1 day per week.

To Apply:

Please apply to this position via the AmeriCorps portal; you can find the posting in the portal here.

Housing Action Illinois is a statewide coalition of more than 200 organizations dedicated to protecting and expanding the availability of quality, affordable, accessible homes throughout Illinois. The great majority of our member organizations are nonprofit direct-service providers who provide shelter, affordable housing, and/or housing counseling to low-income individuals and families.

Through our Policy Advocacy Program, we mobilize our members and allies to advocate for policies that help end homelessness, create affordable rental housing, promote sustainable homeownership and affirmatively further fair housing. For this work, we particularly focus on the needs of people with the lowest incomes and others impacted by systemic inequities in our society. Our complementary Public Education & Organizing Program builds awareness and activates change by sharing information and real-life stories with policymakers, nonprofit service providers, and the media.

Successful state level campaigns we have recently worked on include: passing legislation regulating junk fees for renters; delaying the Cook County tax sale to provide more time for property tax sale reform; securing more than $180 million in new state funding to prevent and end homelessness; advocating for the creation of a new property tax incentive for the preservation and creation of affordable rental housing; and advocating for the passage of the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act.

In Cook County, Housing Action was a leader in campaigns to create payment plan options for homeowners with delinquent property taxes, passage of the Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance and fair housing protections for people with criminal records through the Just Housing Amendment.

Working with partners and allies around the country, we also actively engage in federal level advocacy. This includes advocacy with members of our Congressional delegation to protect and expand resources in the federal housing budget.

Housing Action also has programs that build the capacity and expand the resources of our member organizations through training and technical assistance and as a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Intermediary and HUD Housing Counseling Training Partner. Housing Action also manages a network of AmeriCorps VISTA members working with member agencies.

Job Title: Housing Policy Organizer

Responsible to: Policy Director

Summary of Primary Job Functions: The Housing Policy Organizer is responsible for implementation and management of portions of Housing Action’s Public Policy Advocacy and Public Education and Organizing Programs, including our advocacy work on local, state and federal spending, as well as our legislative and other policy efforts. An important goal for the Housing Policy Organizer is to lead Housing Action’s work to build the capacity of community-based organizations, particularly our members, to participate in our advocacy campaigns.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Working closely with the Policy Director, assist in the development and implementation of our public policy agenda.
• Help lead attempts to influence public policy at the state, federal, and local level.
• Build relationships with members, allies, and other stakeholders to gain community support for Housing Action’s advocacy efforts and to solicit input to guide our future work.
• Establish and maintain relationships with elected officials.
• Organize, manage, and lead issue-specific working groups and coalitions.
• Work with other staff to plan, coordinate, and implement public education and organizing activities, such as our annual conference and membership recruitment and retention activities.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

• At least three years of experience with a non-profit, community-based organization in one of the following areas: affordable housing or community development; public policy in housing or a related social justice field; and/or community organizing
• Strong mission alignment; knowledge of current public policies and programs related to our organizational mission is a plus
• Strong problem solving skills
• Ability to evaluate effectiveness of projects and initiatives, and provide suggestions for improvement
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Comfort with representing Housing Action externally, speaking/presenting publicly, and facilitating large group discussions
• Strong collaboration and group facilitation skills, including leading and managing networks/coalitions toward agreed upon goals
• Ability to engage organizational members and leverage our statewide coalition to advance organizational mission
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with diverse people and communities
• Ability to shift between independent, self-directed work and team collaboration/projects
• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to meet internal and external deadlines
• Strong software and computer skills, ability to learn new programs quickly, especially Mac computers/software
• Ability to work flexible hours; some evening and weekend hours may be required
• Must have valid driver’s license and be willing/able to do significant travel throughout the state. For a highly qualified candidate, we will consider that they not be required to work out of our Chicago office
• Bachelor’s Degree or experience in related field

Salary and Benefits:

Housing Action offers a competitive salary ($58,500-$64,350) and benefits package. Benefits currently include 100% of health, dental, and short-term disability insurance premiums for employee paid by Housing Action, 12 vacation days the first year of employment (increases to 18 days thereafter), 5 personal days, 11 holidays, and 12 health leave days.

Additional relevant qualifications, such as significant past work experience, could warrant a higher starting salary.

We also offer a flexible hybrid work arrangement, with the option to work 2-4 days per week remotely.

Housing Action Illinois is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer Illinois. We believe that personnel diversity is an organizational strength and recognize and value the intersectional identities that staff members bring to our organization.

How to Apply and Deadline:

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to employment@housingactionil.org with “Housing Policy Organizer” in the subject line. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2026, although Housing Action Illinois will be reviewing resumes on a rolling basis. The anticipated start date for the position is September 1, 2026. No phone calls, please.

Join us in taking action to support the development of more affordable housing in Illinois communities. The Senate Executive Committee will hear testimony on numerous bills that support housing access and affordability at 1:30 pm TOMORROW (Thursday, April 23).

This includes SB 4060, which will establish statewide zoning standards to allow for smaller, more affordable single family homes and other “Missing Middle Housing,” e.g., 2-4 flats, townhouses, and ADUs (accessory dwelling units).

Speak up for affordable housing by stating your support of SB 4060 today.

Filing a witness slip online takes less than 3 minutes »

How to File a Witness Slip:

If you are filing as an individual, write “Self” for “Firm/Business or Agency” and “Representation.”
Under the Position section, use the drop down menu for “Add Subject Matter” and select “SB 4060” and then use the “Add Position” drop down menu to select “Proponent.” Double check to make sure you selected the correct options!
Click the “Add Position” button, so that it shows “SB 4060 – Proponent” in the box to the right. If you made a mistake, click on the red “x” and start over.
For Testimony, choose “Record of Appearance Only.”
Agree to the “Terms of Agreement” and click on the “Create (Slip)” button.

More starter homes, townhomes, and three-flats—not McMansions.

Today, many municipalities ban smaller and even mid-sized homes, whether as detached single-family houses, townhomes, or two and three-flats. The result: fewer new homes overall, and the only new housing that’s allowed is the most expensive.

SB 4060, which is part of the BUILD legislative package, ensures that more reasonably priced kinds of homes aren’t banned entirely, while ensuring local control over design standards and health and safety reviews. Minimum standards adapt based on the size of a community’s lots, with single family homes allowed on smaller lots (under 2,500 square feet), four homes allowed on lots up to 5,000 square feet, six up to 7,500 square feet, and eight homes on the largest lots.

These rules encourage small-scale development that provides moderate-cost housing choices for young people, families, and seniors.

The BUILD plan offers common-sense reforms and investments to create more homes and bring down housing costs.

Housing Action Illinois and several of our partners are dedicated to having this legislation move forward; it represents a serious and necessary effort to create statewide alignment on our housing crisis, increase the supply of housing in our communities, and promote affordability. Collectively, the six bills that make up BUILD:

• Create statewide zoning standards to allow for smaller, more affordable single family homes and other “missing middle housing,” e.g., ADUs, 2-4 flats, townhouses, etc.
• Streamline local permitting and approval processes, so that homes can be built faster and at a lower cost.
• Modernize statewide rules on other issues, such as parking and building codes, to make it easier to create new homes.

If you have time, in addition to filing a witness slip in support of SB 4060, we encourage you to also submit a witness slip in support of the other bills in the BUILD package:

• SB 4061: Allow Single Stairway Buildings with Requirements to Ensure Safety
• SB 4062: Standardize Impact Fees Charged by Local Governments
• SB 4063: Allow Third-Party Review and Inspection to Reduce the Amount of Time it Takes to Evaluate Projects
• SB 4064: Reduce Minimum Parking Space Requirements
• SB 4071: Allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in Single Family Zones

Learn more about BUILD »

Deadline: All comments must be submitted by April 21, 2026.

Housing Action Illinois is urging organizations across the state to sign on to a letter opposing HUD’s proposed rule that would allow Public Housing Authorities and Project-Based Rental Assistance owners to impose work requirements and time limits on assisted households.

A recent analysis estimates that a two-year time limit could result in 3.3 million people losing rental assistance, including 1.7 million children.

Read the letter and sign on »

Key concerns outlined in the letter include:

• The rule is unnecessary and unlawful: Most non-disabled residents without young children in federally assisted housing are already working, and HUD does not have the legal authority to impose these requirements—only Congress does.
• Housing providers are not equipped to effectively implement work requirements: Successful programs require robust employment services, education and training opportunities, family supports, and clear exemptions. These are resources most providers do not have.
• The rule would increase housing instability and homelessness: Time limits would primarily affect working households whose wages are still too low to afford rent.
• The impact on Illinois would be significant: Increased housing instability would place additional strain on already overburdened emergency rental assistance programs, shelters, and other emergency services.

We’re asking organizations to sign on to our comment letter urging HUD to rescind this harmful rule and instead maintain current policy, which allows mixed-status families to live together in HUD funded housing.

Deadline to sign on: 5:00 pm CT on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Add your organization’s name by completing this form and clicking submit.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for taking action. 

Not able to sign on for an organization?

Individuals can also submit comments via regulations.gov. HUD must read and account for comments in a published final rule. Find step-by-step instructions on how to submit comments here.

Stay Tuned

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Support our work by donating or becoming a member today »

Housing Action Illinois invites organizations across the state to sign on to a letter opposing HUD’s proposal to put mixed-status families living in HUD-funded housing at risk.

In February, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a proposed rule that targets mixed immigration status families (households with members who are both eligible and ineligible based on immigration status) who receive HUD-funded housing.

Add your organization today »

Currently, federal law and longstanding HUD policy allows for mixed-status families to live under the same roof and receive HUD subsidies for only those members of the family who are eligible based on immigration status. The proposed rule would eliminate this assistance, requiring families to either separate or face potential eviction and housing instability.

Additionally, through the proposed processes, many more people, including U.S. citizens, would have to verify their citizenship by providing specific documentation.

This rule will:

• Affect and potentially harm 198,000 households in Illinois that rely on HUD housing
• Cost Illinois and other states millions of dollars because of the increase of homelessness and administrative burden
• Create additional burdens for affordable housing providers and require the use of money they don’t have to comply
• Particularly affect families, persons with disabilities, older adults, survivors of gender-based violence, and people of color

The proposed rule mandates that all HUD-assisted housing providers require that every applicant, including U.S. Citizens, verify their status through the Department of Homeland Security’s notoriously unreliable SAVE systems, creating additional hurdles for applicants.

We’re asking organizations to sign on to our comment letter urging HUD to rescind this harmful rule and instead maintain current policy, which allows mixed-status families to live together in HUD funded housing.

The deadline to add your organization’s name to our letter is 5:00 pm CT on Monday, April 20, 2026.

We are about halfway through the 2026 Illinois General Assembly session, and Housing Action has made some positive progress in advancing key priorities from our 2026 Policy Agenda. We will keep advocating with our members and allies to move our full legislative agenda forward before the session ends on May 31.

Work on the state budget always increases during the second half of the legislative session. We are focused on reversing proposed cuts to homeless services into budget increases and advocating for progressive revenue increases needed to ensure that Illinois can meet basic human needs, especially as federal funding remains under attack.

At the same time, at the federal level, we are actively engaging with our Illinois Congressional delegation and coordinating with our national partners to protect federal funding, oppose harmful policy proposals, and pursue opportunities for positive policy change.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Housing Action Illinois’ advocacy initiatives so far this year. 

State Advocacy Update

Bills Passed Out of Committee

We’re pleased to share that three bills we are helping lead advocacy on have passed committee: 

Preventing and ending homelessness:

• HB 1429: Stop Criminalizing Homelessness (Chief Sponsor: Representative Kevin Olickal) protects people from being fined or penalized for basic survival activities, such as trying to stay warm, resting, and eating. View our fact sheet.

Protecting Tenants:

• HB 4377: Protect Tenants in Public Housing and Other Federally Subsidized Rental Housing from Time Limits and Work Requirements (Chief Sponsor: Representative Maurice West) preempts a Trump administration proposal to allow Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and owners of project-based Section 8 housing to establish work requirements and time limits. View our fact sheet.
• HB 5234: “Trailer Bill” Changing the Effective Date of HB 3564 to Ensure Passage of the “End Rental Junk Fees: Rental Affordability and Fee Transparency Act” (Chief Sponsor: Representative Nabeela Syed) addresses the mounting move-in fees and non-optional junk fees that renters are facing. View our HB 3564 fact sheet. (Update: The RAFTA legislation passed a final concurrence vote in the House and is now awaiting the Governor’s signature.)

Additional bills we support that have also passed committee:

• HB 3526: Support Manufactured Home Residents by Limiting Rent Increases (Chief Sponsor: Representative Abdelnasser Rashid) – Fact Sheet
• HB 5198: Strengthen the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act (Chief Sponsor: Representative Tracy Katz Muhl) – Fact Sheet
• HB 5424: Renew and Amend Comprehensive Housing Planning Act (Chief Sponsor: Representative Curtis Tarver) – More information
• HB 5394: End Credit Score Discrimination Against Voucher Holders (Chief Sponsor: Representative Kevin Olickal) – Fact Sheet

Bills We Are Working to Advance

Often, bills don’t move until later in the General Assembly session. We are continuing to push for movement on the below.

Preventing homeowner displacement:

• SB 3940: Tyler v. Hennepin Reform that Works for Property Owners, Taxing Districts and Taxpayers (Chief Sponsor: Senator Celina Villanueva). This bill is intended to help homeowners pay delinquent property taxes and maintain equity if they lose their homes due to unpaid property taxes. This would also bring Illinois state law into compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Tyler v. Hennepin. View our fact sheet.

Read recent press coverage from Injustice Watch and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity: Steps Illinois lawmakers could take to reform the state’s tax sale laws

Protecting tenants:

• SB 2264: Regulation of the use of so-called “crime free housing and nuisance ordinances” (Chief Sponsor: Senator Karina Villa). This bill regulates the use of so-called “crime-free housing and nuisance ordinances.” These laws can force landlords to evict tenants because of 911 calls or other alleged “nuisance” activity. This punishes renters for calling for help and puts survivors of domestic violence, as well as people with disabilities, at risk.  View our fact sheet.

We also continue to urge passage of Governor Pritzker’s BUILD package to increase the supply of “missing middle” housing and promote greater affordability and choice in the housing market.

We are also supportive of SB 3169, sponsored by Senator Graciela Guzmán, being advocated for by a coalition of Community Land Trusts to create more resources and tools for CLTs to create permanently affordable homes for owners. (Fact Sheet).

State Budget Focus During Final Weeks of Session

At the start of 2026, we anticipated advocating for modest budget increases for programs to prevent and end homelessness, given state budget challenges on the horizon such as loss of federal health care and food assistance funding.

However, new federal policy threats—particularly harmful and counterproductive policy proposals regarding the Continuum of Care Program—have made significant increased state investment in Permanent Supportive Housing even more urgent.

This made it all the more dismaying to see the cut the HOME Illinois Program (a $10 million reduction, down to a total of $253.7 million) and a supportive housing line item (a $1.4 million reduction to the Supportive MI Housing line item, down to total of $21,313,800) in Governor Pritzker’s FY 2027 budget proposal.

During the rest of the General Assembly session, we will continue advocating for funding increases instead of cuts. See the fact sheet on on appropriations legislation. Our Chief Sponsors are Seantor Adriane Johnson (SB 2969) and Represenative Lindsey LaPointe (HB 4568).

We will also work with partners such as the Illinois Revenue Alliance to make sure the final budget package includes progressive revenue increases, including a “Billionaire Wealth Tax” on asset appreciation, ensuring extreme wealth growth is taxed just like wages and raising an estimated $916 million in FY27.

The General Assembly will pass a budget by the end of may, and we are still speaking with legislators the critical need to increase overall funding each year, particularly for emergency shelters, which serve people with absolutely no place else to go.

Federal Advocacy Update

We continue to work closely with national partners and Illinois’ Congressional delegation to oppose budget cuts and policies that weaken the federal role in meeting housing needs. 

Federal Budget Rejects Deep Cuts

Our collective advocacy resulted in a final FY26 federal budget that largely rejects the massive budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration. The FY26 budget bill also contained provisions directing HUD to renew FY25 Continuum of Care contracts for homeless service providers, an important outcome, although implementation has been slow. Find out more from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Looking ahead, President Trump will release a FY27 budget proposal soon, and we are prepared to oppose new threats to critical policies and programs.

Collective Action in Response to Policy Threats

We are actively opposing multiple proposed rules from HUD, including:

• Weakening the disparate impact standard for fair housing, a key issue in our work to continue addressing housing discrimination 
• Threatening the legal rights of mixed immigration status households to federal housing assistance
• Reducing eviction protections for HUD-assisted households
• Allowing counterproductive time limits and work requirements for public housing residents and other tenants in federally subsidized housing 

Housing Action submitted comments on the disparate impact proposal through a letter we drafted that was signed by 53 organizations. We also worked with Representative Nikki Budiuzski who with 12 of her fellow members from Illinois sent a letter to HUD. The  proposed rule would rescind the existing regulation that should be better used to address facially neutral practices—such as redlining, exclusionary zoning, and discriminatory infrastructure and siting decisions—that produce lasting and measurable disparities.

Additional harmful proposals, particularly regarding allowable uses of funding, could affect  nonprofits implementing the Continuum of Care Program, fair housing programs, and the Housing Counseling Program. Some of these policy changes remain the subject of litigation. Other proposed changes could impact the entire nonprofit sector, such as a proposal requiring applicants or recipients of federal grants to sign vague and overly broad certifications under the threat of civil and criminal penalties. 

The requirements are intended to align with an executive order from President Trump and guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice. Together, these policies would ban support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs and could require organizations that receive federal funding to take on roles related to immigration enforcement and anti-terrorism compliance. More than 1,300 organizations, including Housing Action Illinois, have signed a letter from the National Council of Nonprofits opposing this change.

As we finalized this update, we are glad to report that there have been two positive court decisions related to Continuum of Care (CoC) program: 

• On March 31, the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island ruled HUDs implementation of the CoC Builds NOFO was in violation of federal law.
• On April 1, the First Circuit Appeal Court rejected HUD’s request to overturn a lower court’s temporary injunction against HUD’s planned changes to the CoC Program through the FY25 funding competition.

In the coming days, we will circulate a sign-on letter to oppose HUD’s proposed rule on barring mixed immigration status households from federally subsidized housing, an unnecessary proposal that is contrary to statutory language and against our values. It will also cost Illinois and the nation millions of dollars in costs due to increased homelessness and administrative burdens.

Building Support in Congress

Whatever good work we have been able to accomplish at the federal level is made possible by strong relationships with members of our Illinois Congressional delegation, including with Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Mike Quigley, both members of the subcommittees that determine and have oversight of the HUD budget.

Recent movement on the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act” demonstrates bipartisan support and momentum for affordable housing solutions. We urge the House to take up the bill and pass it as soon as possible.

Speak Up With Us

There are many ways to support our work—from contacting your elected officials to filling out a witness slip for a committee hearing at the State Capitol to endorsing one of our campaigns. Visit our recently launched Action Center to get involved.  

If you have any questions or want to join specific campaign efforts, please contact our Housing Policy Organizer Foluke Akanni.

Support our work by donating or becoming a member today »

Sarah Leys, Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Rockford

Her commitment to listening to the needs and opinions of others was born out of her own personal experiences. After initially working at a bank, “I became a mom, and had three kids pretty close together, so I ended up home full time with them. My perspective just changed. I realized what it’s like to be a parent and trying to keep things good for your kids and what the community needs to be for that.” Sarah adds,  “I saw how hard it was for housing to happen for moms. Housing was a big reason I had to make certain decisions, because I just didn’t have a choice.”

This experience pushed Sarah to spend time working for Habitat for Humanity and then Home Start. These experiences showed her that her concerns about housing were shared by many people throughout the community. “Seeing what happened when the families found stability shaped my viewpoint. There was one Habitat owner that had three boys, and in the 15 years she was an owner they all graduated, went to college, one got a Master’s, two got doctorates,” she remembers. “The stability of her being able to be home at night because she only needed one job to pay for that house had really changed what her kids were able to do. That impact has always stuck with me.”

On her transition from nonprofit leadership to government work, Sarah says, “[As a non-profit leader] you’re managing the board and the audience, and if you’re in-between you have to pick your mission, and then you zero in on that. You really go after the funding to do your part.” It’s different from working for the city, she reflects, because “The government makes a lot of the decisions about bringing stakeholders together, or thinking about the foundational funding, some of the underwriting. There’s a lot that’s influenced about the housing discussion that I couldn’t do from a nonprofit lens. I’m working directly with our local decision makers. I have direct relationships with the city council, the mayor, city administrator, the other regional government [initiatives] I’m involved in. I still have all my nonprofit partners, and I try to [collaborate with] as many as I can.” Sarah’s experiences with nonprofits have allowed her to approach her government role with a deeper awareness of how the two entities can work together to solve housing issues.

This perspective will also be valuable to Housing Action’s board. “Given where funding and decisions are going, local governments are becoming more and more important. For years, there’s [been] enough federal money for this and that, but as this administration dries that up and resets whole offices,  the funding picture really changes federally. We have to make sure our local and state are built correctly to hold the foundation for the long term.” 

When asked why she joined Housing Action’s Board of Directors, she replies, “I joined the board because I love the organization, but also because I think having a government representative  will help shape any new [directions Housing Action may have to take].” 

We are excited to work with Sarah in the coming years and look forward to her insights.

RoxAnne first became involved with the county through a part-time position while working at a nonprofit in the area that focused on housing counseling. After the nonprofit closed, RoxAnne and other staff members at the county saw that there was still a need for housing counseling in the area and started offering counseling services directly through the county. 

Until a requirement that all housing counselors pass an exam to become HUD-certified, Jefferson County offered counseling services independently. If the agency hadn’t become certified, “We would not have been able to do the counseling for any of the people that were looking at buying homes in Jefferson County,” RoxAnne explains. “We would have been sending [clients] out to Madison or Milwaukee, which is 45 minutes from us.” In Jefferson County, “We’re more rural. So a lot of my stuff is still face to face. My people use cell phones. They don’t have computers, so trying to look at a loan estimate or closing document on a cell phone just doesn’t quite cut it.“

The HUD certification has also allowed Jefferson County to work with clients throughout more of the homebuying process. “Before our HUD certification, people would come in [once they had accepted an offer], and we would do their counseling…Now, because of HUD certification, they can come in anywhere along the way. So someone could want to buy a house a year from now versus just someone who has accepted an offer and is closing soon. Now we take them all where before, it was just anybody who had an accepted offer.”

RoxAnne is also careful to ensure that her clients will be able to continue to afford their homes after a purchase. “I think the hardest part is telling somebody, ‘You’re not quite ready, you need to save a little more, the budget needs to be tweaked a little bit.’ I don’t want you to be house rich and cash poor.I want you to be able to afford it, and I don’t want to see you in six months back saying I need help with my budget. I can’t make my house payment.” This approach leads to longer term success but relies on more involved counseling from RoxAnne and her colleagues.

Jefferson County’s housing counseling program has recently moved into their department of economic development, which allows for collaboration on tackling housing issues. “Right now it’s kind of tough,” says RoxAnne. “There’s not a lot out here that they can afford or is available. Part of what we’re doing now in economic development is looking at developers to put up homes. We know a lot of the newer homes that are going up are going to be a little out of range for the clientele that I work for, but we’re hoping that the starter homes that those people are selling are the ones that my clients would be able to afford.” These collaborations between housing counselors and other branches of the Department of Economic Development allow for a more comprehensive solution to housing problems in the area.

In addition to the financial challenges faced by her clients, RoxAnne has also sometimes found it challenging to convince people that housing counseling services are worth it. “Some of these programs require code inspection and all these other things, and some people think ‘I don’t want to do that. I’m going to just get the straight loan. I don’t want to apply for the grant because then I have to jump through all these other hoops.” However, RoxAnne and the other employees rely on relationships with lenders and realtors throughout the county to spread the word about their services. “Our real estate agents are asking ‘have you been to the bank yet?’ a lot more. And when they go to the bank, the bank is going to say ‘You qualify for the grants. Go see RoxAnne over at Jefferson County.’” She also mentions that word often spreads between friends.

There are many initiatives to look forward to in Jefferson County. “I’m excited that we’re going to have new employees [working in housing counseling]. We’ve also got homes that Habitat [for Humanity] is putting up. We’ve got four new industries that are coming into Jefferson County.” The growth of these industries coincides with the growth of Jefferson County at Home as a housing counseling provider, allowing for them to help the people of Jefferson County take full advantage of the opportunities provided.