Alice Nicholson with staff from a local restaurant who supported Lake-McHenry Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build event.

One of Alice’s roles with Lake-McHenry Habitat for Humanity has been public outreach—spreading the word about Habitat’s services throughout Lake and McHenry counties and building partnerships with organizations across both communities. “I’ve joined 16 Chambers [of Commerce] across two counties,” Alice explains. “It’s about building relationships and building community. I feel that I can segue between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors because of my background. I’m able to explain what Habitat does, what our mission is, and how we can help people. It creates a ripple effect—one connection leads to another, and as more people learn about Habitat, that awareness can turn into partnerships, resources, and ultimately tangible results for the families and communities we serve.”

“It’s surprising—when I’m at an event, many people do not realize the full extent of what Habitat does,” Alice says. She often shares information about Habitat’s Critical Home Repair program, which provides essential repairs and accessibility modifications for seniors, people with disabilities, and current military/veterans. The program can address serious needs such as unsafe staircases and roofs, as well as installing ramps and bathroom grab bars to help people remain safely in their homes.

Through her outreach and community meetings, Alice is helping bring greater awareness to this program, along with Habitat’s new home construction and the items at its ReStores. “At Chamber meetings, you never know who you’re going to meet,” she says. At her first Chamber meeting in January, Alice connected with a nurse who represented a Lake County home health care organization serving seniors. “I thought, who better to talk with about Critical Home Repair than a nurse who is serving the local senior population?” Alice says, “Many seniors want to remain in their homes, but repairs can be extremely expensive when they are living on a fixed income. If they meet the qualifications, they can apply for our Critical Home Repair program when applications open a few times a year.” For Alice, that connection is exactly what community outreach is about—bringing Habitat’s resources to the people and organizations that can help connect those resources with the individuals who need them most.

Alice was also tasked with recruiting and supporting individual and corporate volunteers, whose contributions are essential to Habitat’s work. “Habitat homes and repairs would not be completed without volunteers,” she explains. Her own experience as a volunteer has given her a deeper understanding of what it takes to create a meaningful volunteer experience and has helped her better support Lake-McHenry Habitat for Humanity’s volunteers.

“I can relate to so many different perspectives—whether it’s a corporate volunteer, a stay-at-home parent, or a retired volunteer,” Alice says. “In order to work with volunteers, you need to have been a volunteer. You can’t ask people to do something you haven’t experienced yourself. It’s really important to engage with volunteers, make sure they enjoy the experience, and help them see that the time they’ve given has truly made a difference.”

“When I saw the AmeriCorps VISTA Habitat community outreach position, it made sense because of my career background and my own volunteer experiences,” Alice concludes. “I wanted to give back to the community, and Habitat was a natural fit for my interests in community development, outreach, and helping people. Being civic-minded and volunteering has always been part of my family—both growing up and while raising my three children.”

Now, Alice hopes her experience will encourage others to consider AmeriCorps VISTA service at any stage of their careers. “You don’t have to be a recent college graduate to serve,” she says. “Whether you’re looking for a career change, reentering the workforce, or simply looking for a meaningful way to give back, there’s an opportunity to use the skills and experiences you already have to make a difference in your community.”

After her year of service ends, Alice will continue to work with Lake-McHenry Habitat in a new position called Government Relations and Economic Partnerships. She will work with elected officials and municipalities throughout the two counties to form partnerships with Habitat for Humanity.

Housing Action Illinois is collecting stories from professional housing counselors and clients to help illustrate how housing counseling makes a difference in our communities.

We will use these stories to show the need for robust federal funding for housing counseling and support for education for all community members.

Learn more about recent changes to funding for housing counseling and eligible activities »

Even just sending in a 1-2 sentence answer to one question helps, and you’re welcome to record yourself answering and send in an audio or video file.

View some very short example stories » 

Click below to submit your story today:

Questions? Contact us at communications@housingactionil.org.

Open Communities offers both fair housing and housing counseling programming, which equips Open Communities’ staff to solve a wider range of problems their clients may be facing. “When folks call and they’re experiencing housing instability or a crisis, from their perspective it’s just a crisis and they need help. They don’t know the delineation [between programs] so it’s great to have both in one agency.” It has also given Sarah a unique perspective on the problems her clients face. “There are so many issues for folks that present as either an affordability issue or a credit issue that is preventing them from getting into housing…but if you have a fair housing lens, you can ask about patterns,” Sarah says. “Are there patterns with a particular housing provider? You can work on their individual goals and at the same time ask the broader systemic questions that may be affecting their ability to access the housing they want to live in.”

Sarah wishes that more people would take advantage of the services Open Communities and similar organizations offer–and reach out for help earlier. “You can just call for resources. You don’t have to know exactly what you need. You don’t need to be in crisis to call. I really wish people would come to us before they’re a year in default. If they’re worried about being able to afford their mortgage, talk to us now.” To help make more people aware of their services, Open Communities has been “talking to social workers in municipal government offices, in the tax assessor’s office, where people are already at when they’re struggling with a housing issue.” “They don’t have all the answers either,” Sarah explains. “So making them aware of our services and just continually showing up where people are already at is important to make sure more people get the help they need.”

Open Communities is also expanding their programs and outreach to support the aging populations in their area. “We are trying to reach out to people before they need subsidized housing to see if there’s a way, if they want, for them to age in place or age in their community.” In addition to letting more people know about their services, they are also pursuing partnerships with other organizations. “Aging in place means a lot of different things to different people,” Sarah explains. “There are all kinds of services people may need as they age. We’re learning from the community what those needs are and trying to find partners so that when we do our budgeting or foreclosure or mortgage education workshops, we also have another partner to talk about in-home care, chore services, to talk about all these other kinds of wraparound services.”

Sarah and other Open Communities’ staff members see the value in cultivating relationships with clients over long periods of time. Most pre-purchase clients “are not going to be mortgage-ready within the next year and that’s fine…Our housing counselors sometimes have stayed with clients for years. It’s very unusual for a social service to be there for years to go through the whole process with someone, to really build a rapport and be a resource for people.”

To help people stay engaged, Open Communities’ housing counselors work to meet clients where they are at and highlight the progress they are making even if they can’t reach their goal immediately. “The best way to retain folks is that you have both short-term and long-term goals, as well as just maintaining a regular meet-up schedule and checking in.” 

However, it is still challenging to work through difficult life circumstances. “If you’re making progress on your goals and then you have a medical emergency or your car breaks down and it derails your goals, sometimes it’s hard for people to feel encouraged and get back on track.” Sarah and other staff at Open Communities deeply value the strength of their relationships with their clients, which helps to support them through setbacks. “It’s not just about the number of clients we have, but the real care and time that we spend with them. That can make a really big difference, especially in communities with a lot of older adults, or where folks are really isolated and they don’t have a community safety net to make sure that things are going well with them.”

Open Communities is dedicated to continuing their programs and spreading awareness about housing counseling through the challenges their organization and community members may face. Sarah hopes that seeking counseling will eventually become commonplace for potential homebuyers. “The expectation that educating yourself, like driver’s education, is something that you need before buying a home, and that it should be appropriately valued and funded as well; that would be my long term ideal,” Sarah concludes.

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2026
Contact: Kristin Ginger, Director of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois, kristin@housingactionil.org or 312-854-3333

CHICAGO, IL – Full-time workers need to earn $30.36 per hour to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent in Illinois. This is Illinois’ “2026 Housing Wage” according to Out of Reach, a report published jointly today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and Housing Action Illinois.

Out of Reach, released annually, documents the gulf between wages and what people need to earn to afford their rents. The report shows that affordable rental homes remain out of reach for millions of low-wage workers and their families. The report’s Housing Wage is an estimate of the hourly wage full-time workers must earn to afford a rental home at HUD’s Fair Market Rent without spending more than 30% of their incomes.

This year, for the first time, the Housing Wage for Illinois has surpassed $30 per hour. Costs in the Chicago metropolitan area are even higher, with a Housing Wage of $34.25. Statewide, the Housing Wage ranges from $39.42 in the Kendall County metropolitan area to $17.62 in certain rural areas of central and southern Illinois.

“High rental costs continue to hurt people with the lowest incomes the most, especially minimum wage earners and people with disabilities,” said Bob Palmer, Policy Director for Housing Action Illinois. “For people experiencing homelessness, it’s a particularly difficult environment to find affordable apartments, both for the directly impacted people and the nonprofits who work with them.”

In Illinois, the maximum monthly Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment for an individual is $994. Therefore, a person on SSI can only afford $298 a month in rent without paying more than 30% of their income for housing. If someone is earning the state minimum wage of $15, they must work 81 hours per week to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.

In 2026, the average hourly wage earned by Illinois renters is $24. Even for a one bedroom apartment, a worker must earn $26.32.

Out of Reach 2026 highlights the significant need for rental subsidies, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, and deeply affordable rental housing to assist the lowest-income renters. Despite this need, federal resources for affordable housing remain insufficient. Currently, only one in four eligible households receives federal housing assistance due to chronic underfunding. This underfunding is largely a result of housing assistance programs, which are not entitlements, competing for limited discretionary federal funding.

For additional information, and to download the report, visit: http://www.nlihc.org/oor

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About Housing Action Illinois

Housing Action Illinois has been leading the movement to end homelessness, address the shortage of affordable rental housing, and expand homeownership opportunities in Illinois for nearly 40 years. With our 200+ member organizations, we bring everyone together to work toward our vision of an Illinois where everyone has a stable, good home.

Cornelius’ interest in the housing counseling career stemmed from his time working as a loan officer. He saw how confused many people were about the homebuying process and how easily someone could be pushed into signing agreements that they did not understand. “I saw other loan officers rushing people, urging people to ‘hurry up and sign here’ because a lot of it was commission based so you’ve got to meet the quota,” he explains. This setup is dangerous for uninformed buyers. “People get so excited about buying a home. They don’t understand that there’s a reason why there’s 30 pages of documents you have to sign and 99% of people don’t read it. They really count on someone to slow down and give them that education about what’s going on.” 

Ultimately, Cornelius realized, “I’ve got to get to them the step before me.” When Cornelius was a Loan Officer, he  was invited to present at a HUD Pre-Purchase group education event at Genesis Housing Development (which later merged with Far South CDC), and immediately after the HUD event he later called Genesis asking to become a housing counselor. “My passion is helping people, but my passion is also dealing with finance, so putting it together is how I started my career as a housing counselor,” Cornelius reflects.

The services offered by Far South CDC can help clients at any point in the homebuying process. “We can help anyone at any stage of housing, whether it’s rental, pre-purchase, post-purchase, or foreclosure prevention. We also do financial coaching and disaster counseling.” Whatever challenges the client might be facing, according to Cornelius, “Wherever you are, we’re going to meet you right there where you are.” Client intake starts with a pre-assessment “because a lot of times people may think ‘I want to do this’. We use [the pre-assessment] to get a little bit of background on what the situation is, because there are certain people, for example, that might want repairs on the home–but they’re three months behind [on mortgage payments], so we gotta slow them down. You’re in court, we gotta deal with the court situation first, then we can help with repairs.”

 Cornelius’ passions give him the drive he needs to continue to serve his clients. The stresses of being a housing counselor are often overlooked. “You really have to have a passion in this field,” Cornelius explains. “You’re going to have some people that just panic. They’re scared, they’ve never seen a court summons, they’ve never been asked to go to court for a mortgage. You have some people that are renters and the landlords are trying to do illegal evictions and we have to calm them down. They’re coming to us panicking and scared, but they’re depending on us to help guide them to fix the situation.”

 Despite the challenges, Cornelius recognizes that housing counseling really can change the course of his clients’ lives. “I’m going to treat you the way I would like to be treated. I’m going to put 100% in, like I would want someone to put 100% in to help me. That’s the way that I look at every client that comes. You treat people the way, if you were in desperate need and you came to an organization, how would you want to be treated?”

Organizations like Far South CDC help their communities become more stable. Access to housing counseling resources ensures that people can put down roots in a community and avoid displacement from their homes. “We help renters in the community, we help people in the community achieve the American Dream and get thousands of dollars of grant assistance to help in their journey, and we help people in the community get the most out of their homes by assisting with home repair options and resources,” Cornelius says. Housing Action is committed to building the field of housing counseling in both Illinois communities and beyond, aiming to help more low- to moderate-income families everywhere access the knowledge and resources they need to find and keep safe, affordable housing.

For Immediate Release: June 26, 2026
Contact: Kristin Ginger, Director of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois, kristin@housingactionil.org or 312-854-3333

CHICAGO, IL – A new analysis from the National Alliance to End Homelessness finds that 5,105 Illinoisans are at risk of losing their homes as Illinois’ 19 Continuum of Care networks stand to lose more than $60 million in existing federal homelessness funding for permanent supportive housing and other permanent housing under recent changes proposed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

HUD released its FY2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Continuum of Care (CoC) program on June 1. The CoC is our nation’s largest investment in ending homelessness. Funds currently received by CoC networks are subject to a national competitive application process. In a dramatic break from the approach that has been the focus for nearly two  decades, HUD has been proposing to reject evidence-based Housing First policies and practices in favor of short-term assistance, transitional housing and mandatory treatment.

Housing First programs—especially permanent supportive housing—pair stable, affordable housing with mental health care, substance use treatment, medical care for other chronic diseases, and additional support people need to rebuild their lives. Decades of research show this approach is more effective at ending homelessness than alternatives, which matters greatly in a country where there is nowhere near enough affordable housing to begin with.

“Permanent supportive housing is a proven tool to end homelessness, particularly for those with mental illness or substance use disorder, and has had longtime bipartisan support. Replacing permanent housing subsidies with time-limited support or funding for supportive services alone will lead to more people experiencing homelessness, not fewer,” said Mark Ishaug, President and CEO of Thresholds, one of Illinois’ largest and longest serving providers of community mental health treatment and supportive housing.

HUD proposed similar changes for the FY2025 CoC Program NOFO. However, a combination of court decisions and actions by Congress required HUD to renew existing contracts for one year. The provisions in the FY26 NOFO are once again subject to legal challenge. 

“We urge HUD and the administration to reverse course and return to funding what works: permanent supportive housing and other Housing First programs supported by evidence,” said Bob Palmer, Policy Director for Housing Action Illinois.

Many groups in Illinois have been working together to appeal to members of our Congressional delegation to expand funding for the CoC program, keep a focus on Housing First strategies, and require HUD to protect existing permanent supportive housing and the people who live in it. 

These groups include, but are not limited to: Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County, AIDS Foundation Chicago, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Center for Housing and Health, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Chicago Homelessness and Health Response Group for Equity (CHHRGE), Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness, Christian Community Health Center, Housing Action Illinois, Illinois Shelter Alliance, Lincoln Park Community Services, NAMI Chicago, New Moms, South Suburban PADS, Supportive Housing Providers Association and Thresholds.

View the full analysis from NAEH »

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About Housing Action Illinois

Housing Action Illinois has been leading the movement to end homelessness, address the shortage of affordable rental housing, and expand homeownership opportunities in Illinois for nearly 40 years. With our 200+ member organizations, we bring everyone together to work toward our vision of an Illinois where everyone has a stable, good home.

Deadline: All comments must be submitted by 12:00 pm CT on Monday, June 29, 2026.

Housing Action Illinois is urging organizations across the state to sign on to a letter opposing HUD’s proposed rescission of the Equal Access Rule (EAR).

What is the Equal Access Rule?

The EAR guarantees equal access to programs and services funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

Established more than 10 years ago, it ensures families can remain together in shelter and protects transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming people from being turned away from live-saving resources.

Why This Matters

• Transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals would lose critical housing protections
• All people experiencing homelessness would be affected, not only LGBTQI+ individuals
• Homelessness rates would likely increase, straining local and state budgets
• State and local protections for LGBTQI+ individuals could be undermined

Read the letter and sign on »

Deadline to sign on: 12:00 pm CT on Monday, June 29, 2026.

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

Sign up for our Policy Advocacy alerts »

Support our work by donating or becoming a member today »

UPDATE: Applications are now closed

Start date: September 8, 2026

Each year, Housing Action Corps matches AmeriCorps members with community-based organizations across Illinois. AmeriCorps is a national service program that connects people and organizations to help end poverty and strengthen communities.

AmeriCorps members take on a variety of roles at their host organizations, all aimed at helping our communities thrive. They expand the scale of programs and services, implement new projects, and build capacity to further the long-term sustainability of anti-poverty programs at their host organizations.

Since 2010, Housing Action Illinois has managed a network of AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program. Housing Action Corps members serve full-time with their organizations for a year-long term. Most of our positions are located in Illinois, but AmeriCorps members in our Housing Counseling Corps can serve with housing counseling agencies nationwide.

If you’re passionate about housing and interested in serving as an AmeriCorps member, or if you know someone who might be, take a look at the various host sites and their postings below. We will update this page and the embedded map as positions open or are filled. If you have questions or need assistance with your application, please email our AmeriCorps team.

To apply, click on the position links below and submit an application through the My AmeriCorps portal. For assistance using the AmeriCorps portal, read detailed instructions on how to apply.

Learn more about Housing Action Corps »

2026-2027 Housing Action Corps Positions

Updated September 2026

Housing Action Corps  |  Housing Counseling Corps

Key Info:

• Priority applications are due by July 17, 2026.
• All positions are full-time (35-40 hrs/week) for a 12 month term.
• Housing Action Corps members start on September 8, 2026.

Housing Action Corps

BEDS Plus, Inc. Summit, IL

• • Position filled

Chicago Rehab Network, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

Claretian Associates, Chicago, IL

• • Positions filled

Community Partners for Affordable Housing, Libertyville, IL

• • Position filled

DuPage and Chicago South Suburbs Habitat for Humanity, Wheaton, IL

• • Construction Systems Coordinator

Full Circle Communities, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

Garfield Park Community Council, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

Genesis Garden, Macomb, IL

• • Position filled

Greater Alton Community Development Corporation, Alton, IL

• • Position filled

HOPE Fair Housing Center, Wheaton, IL

• • Position filled

Housing Action Illinois – Communications & Development, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

Housing Action Illinois – Capacity Building, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

Housing Forward, IL

• • Positions filled

Lake-McHenry Habitat for Humanity, McHenry, IL

• • Operations Outreach VISTA

LUCHA, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

NeighborScapes, Homewood & Tinley Park, IL

• • Position filled

Northwest Center, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

Open Communities, Evanston, IL

• • Position filled

PlatFORM Group, Rockford, IL

• • Position filled

Preservation of Affordable Housing, Chicago, IL

• • Resident Engagement Coordinator
  • Resident Origentation and Economic Mobility Coordinator

The Neighbor Project, Aurora, IL

• • Position filled

The Resurrection Project, Chicago, IL

• • Position filled

Housing Counseling Corps

Housing Counseling Corps is an initiative of Housing Action Corps. Housing Counseling Corps members may be placed with housing counseling agencies nationwide and receive customized training and professional development in housing counseling. 

Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

• • Communications & Outreach Associate

Genesis Garden, Macomb, IL

• • Position filled

Housing Options & Planning Enterprises, Inc. (H.O.P.E.), Oxon Hill, MD

• • Position filled

Housing Authority of the County of Jackson, IL, Murphysboro, IL

• • Position filled

National Housing Resource Center, Philadelphia, PA

• • Position Filled