Housing Action Illinois https://housingactionil.org Fri, 24 Apr 2026 02:45:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 2026 Mid-Session Legislative Update https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/04/01/2026-mid-session-legislative-update/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:27:51 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519644

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 (HB 3564 awaits a final concurrence vote in the House).

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 »

]]> Board Member Spotlight: Sarah Leys https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/03/16/sarah-leys-spotlight/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:40:34 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519542

One of the first things that Sarah Leys did after joining the City of Rockford as Director of Community and Economic Development was engage in a 15-month-long stakeholder engagement process in partnership with HUD consultants. “We wrote and adopted the city’s first housing strategy framework,” Sarah recalls, “which reset the conversation and put affordable housing in the conversation with all of the housing, because it didn’t need to be separated off. We started thinking of why it affects the whole community, and why it needs to be part of every conversation, not just those specifically about affordable housing.” 

Looking forward, she hopes to continue to amplify all Rockford residents’ voices. “I believe this year we’ll be able to offer four or five different housing programs…I’m hopeful that our initiatives will address multiple wards at the same time. We’ve done so much work to bring people to the table, I think we’re going to be able to do some programs we’ve never done before.”

Portrait of Dan smiling with blue background

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.



]]> Strengthening Local Community through Jefferson County at Home https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/03/11/jeffersoncountyspotlight/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:15:30 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519519

RoxAnne Witte, a housing counselor with Jefferson County at Home, Housing Action’s newest subgrantee, has noticed the gap between those who pursue housing counseling services and those who don’t widen over her 19-year career. “It’s changed a lot. When we first started people had their 20% for a down payment. Now, you don’t see a lot of that. It’s either that they need a lot of help or they’re over the income limit [to receive a grant] and I don’t see them…We very seldom see people over the grant limit come into our office. They figure ‘I don’t need it. I got the down payment. I’m good to go.’” However, RoxAnne and her colleagues at Jefferson County are working to spread the word about housing counseling services and increase housing options in the County. 

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.

]]> Action Needed: Keep Immigrant Families Together https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/03/06/action-needed-keep-immigrant-families-together/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:24:29 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519479

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

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed yet another policy that will destabilize immigrant families, putting Illinois seniors and children in particular at risk.

In February, 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. Overall, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) estimated these changes could cause 80,000 people nationwide to lose their rental assistance, including 37,000 children.

Currently, federal law and longstanding HUD policy allow 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. The CBPP reports that approximately 3.8 million US citizens lack proof of citizenship and 17.5 million cannot easily access those documents—putting many more people at risk of losing their housing because they cannot meet the high burden of the proposed rule.

 

How you can help:

File a public comment opposing this cruel rule.

In collaboration with the Keep Families Together campaign, Housing Action is mobilizing people to oppose this proposed rule and keep families together, safe, and housed. Take just 5 minutes and join us:

  1. Visit regulations.gov to file a public comment.
  2. Draft your comment; feel free to customize one of the Keep Families Together examples. Fill out the complete form and hit submit.
  3. Let the campaign know you submitted a comment.

All comments must be submitted by April 21, 2026.

Your voice makes a difference. In 2019, we mobilized our collective voice to tell HUD and the Trump Administration that we opposed a similar cruel rule. It worked; the rule was never adopted. Now we need to create a new flood of comments and refuse to allow this rule from being adopted.

Thank you for helping keep families together.

Stay Tuned

Sign up for our Policy Advocacy alerts »

Support our work by donating or becoming a member today »

]]> Report Finds Deficit of Rental Units for Extremely Low-Income Renters in Illinois https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/03/05/report-finds-deficit-of-rental-units-for-extremely-low-income-renters-in-illinois/ Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:30:07 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519461

For Immediate Release: March 5, 2026
Contact: Kristin Ginger, Director of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois, kristin@housingactionil.org or 312-854-3333

CHICAGO, IL – A new report by Housing Action Illinois and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, finds a national shortage of 7.2 million affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renter households—and only 34 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 of these households in Illinois.

These findings come amidst multiple proposed rules from the Trump administration that will make it more challenging to promote access to federally subsidized rental homes.

“We need federal policies that increase the availability and access to affordable housing, not attempt to take it away or make it more difficult to qualify for,” said Bob Palmer, Policy Director for Housing Action Illinois.

These harmful rules include:

  • Allowing Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and owners of project-based rental Section 8 assistance to implement time limits and work requirements. The proposal ignores that federal programs are necessary because of the high cost of housing in the private market, not because people aren’t already working or don’t want to work if they are able. More than half of non-disabled, working-age Illinois households receiving federal rental assistance include at least one worker.
  • Changing federal law and ending long-standing federal policy by prohibiting families with mixed immigration status from receiving housing assistance and creating burdensome citizenship documentation requirements for U.S. citizens. Contrary to HUD’s false claims, people who are undocumented do not receive housing subsidies under current policy. If the eligible individual is part of a mixed status family, the family receives prorated housing assistance only for the eligible individual. These families therefore pay a higher amount of rent than other households.
  • Eliminating the requirement that PHAs and property owners receiving HUD funding to provide 30-day written notice for nonpayment of rent prior to eviction. Without the protection of the 30-day notice rule, HUD tenants in Illinois could be evicted with only 5 days notice to pay what is owed.

“Without the 30-day notice rule, the tenants we serve in Illinois will be at much higher risk of losing their housing due to rent that they don’t even owe. HUD multifamily housing owners make ledger errors and miscalculate balances that families need time to resolve,” said Noah Moskowitz, Organizing Director for the Jane Addams Senior Caucus. “By rescinding this rule, HUD is forcing our families through an impossible five-day timeline to address administrative errors, pay the erroneous charges, or face homelessness.”

The report finds that 439,933 extremely low-income renter households live in Illinois, but only 150,317 affordable rental homes are available to them—leaving a staggering shortage of 289,616 affordable rental homes. Extremely low-income households have annual incomes at or below 30% of their area median income (AMI). As a result, 74% of extremely low-income renters in Illinois are severely housing cost-burdened, spending more than 50% of their income on housing, with little left over for food, healthcare, and other basic necessities.

The picture is even worse in the Chicago metro area, where only 31 affordable and available homes exist per every 100 extremely low-income renters.

Even for those with a slightly larger household budget, there are not nearly enough options available; in Illinois, there are only 63 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 very low income households in Illinois. Very low income households have annual incomes of 50% or below AMI.

The private market alone cannot provide an adequate supply of housing affordable, especially for the lowest-income renters. Investments are needed to produce new affordable housing, preserve existing affordable housing, and subsidize the difference between what the lowest-income renters can afford to pay and market rents.

Released annually, The Gap investigates the affordability and availability of rental homes for households of different income levels nationwide and in every state and major metropolitan area. For the full report, visit: https://nlihc.org/gap

 

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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.

 

]]> Statement on Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) from Housing Organizations https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/02/19/statement-on-building-up-illinois-developments-from-housing-organizations/ Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:25:29 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519365

For Immediate Release: February 19, 2026
Contact: Kristin Ginger, Director of Communications & Development, Housing Action Illinois, kristin@housingactionil.org or 312-854-3333

Housing affordability and supply are not isolated local concerns. They are statewide economic and civic challenges that require coordinated action. Across Illinois, people and communities are grappling with rising housing costs, constrained inventory, and regulatory frameworks that can slow or discourage new development. These pressures hinder our workforce growth, household stability, municipal capacity, and long-term economic competitiveness. These are not problems that can be solved on a community-by-community basis, and require clear expectations and standards across the state.

We appreciate Governor Pritzker and state lawmakers for helping jumpstart an important statewide conversation about housing priorities and investments. Their engagement has elevated the urgency of the issue and opened the door to practical solutions that can strengthen Illinois communities while supporting working families seeking stable, affordable housing options.

The Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) legislative package represents a serious and necessary effort to create statewide alignment on our housing crisis. Establishing baseline statewide standards, enabling accessory dwelling units, setting reasonable parking requirements, and improving review timelines can help reduce unnecessary costs and delays while maintaining adequate local oversight and control. These types of reforms make it more feasible to produce housing that working Illinoisans can afford and that Illinois communities need to ensure the future economic vitality and competitiveness of our state.

Equally important, pairing regulatory improvements with targeted financial resources is critical. Strategic investments in proven financing and funding mechanisms — including capital support for housing production, assistance for first-time homebuyers, and infrastructure resources that unlock stalled projects — can help ensure policy changes translate into real housing opportunities across diverse communities.

No single proposal will fully resolve Illinois’ housing challenges, but continued collaboration and thoughtful investment can make meaningful progress. Some local communities have embraced proactive policies to increase housing supply, but nowhere near enough. This General Assembly session, the state legislature needs to advance policies and targeted funding that expand affordable housing supply, strengthen stability for tenants and homeowners, and support sustainable growth statewide. We urge the Illinois General Assembly to advance this legislation and continue strengthening Illinois’ capacity to deliver stable housing for households across the state.

 

Abundant Housing Illinois
Elevated Chicago
Housing Action Illinois
Illinois Housing Council
Impact for Equity
Metropolitan Planning Council
YIMBY Illinois

]]> Take Action: Oppose HUD’s Proposed Elimination of Crucial Fair Housing Regulations https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/02/11/take-action-oppose-huds-proposed-elimination-of-crucial-fair-housing-regulations/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 20:32:41 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519326

Deadline: 4:00 pm CT on Friday, February 13, 2026

Housing Action Illinois invites organizations across the state to sign on to a letter opposing HUD’s proposal to eliminate its Fair Housing Act disparate impact regulations.

HUD’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, published January 14, would eliminate critical enforcement regulations that help identify and address housing discrimination that is not be overt, but still causes harm, particularly to communities of color, people with disabilities, and families with children.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, and religion.

There are different types of discrimination, including intentional discrimination (e.g., a landlord refuses to rent to a family because the household includes young children) and discrimination that has a disparate impact based on a protected characteristic such as race or sex (e.g., a local ordinance has an unjustified disproportionate effect on Black residents but does not explicitly mention race).

While intentional discrimination is often easier to uncover, disparate impact helps identify discriminatory practices that are facially neutral. Discriminatory housing policies are not always overt; thus, disparate impact is an important tool to enforce fair housing protections.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in 2015 that the FHA allows for disparate impact claims. HUD rescinding the current disparate impact regulations cannot change the underlying law. However, HUD’s existing regulations promote a consistent understanding of how to analyze disparate impact claims and are worth keeping.

We urge HUD to fully enforce the Fair Housing Act, including through the use of disparate impact.

The deadline to add your organization’s name to our letter is 4:00 pm CT on Friday, February 13, 2026.

Please join us: add your organization to the letter »

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Sign up for our Policy Advocacy alerts »

Support our work by donating or becoming a member today »

]]> Expanding Homeowner Support through a New HUD Program: Spotlight on H.O.M.E. DuPage https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/01/16/home-dupage-spotlight/ Fri, 16 Jan 2026 21:59:45 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=519068

“I always thought that I wanted to help people,” explains Maria Luengas, Executive Director of H.O.M.E. DuPage, when asked how she ended up in the field of housing counseling. But in her prior work, “I wasn’t necessarily helping people with their goals. So I looked for something, and I saw this housing counseling position, and because I had a mortgage background and I spoke Spanish, they gave me an opportunity.” After getting her certifications, Maria began her work as a housing counselor, leading to over ten years of experience in the field and ultimately the position of executive director, a role in which she has helped H.O.M.E. DuPage expand their housing counseling services to guide more people in achieving their financial goals.

Many people don’t know about the potential benefits of housing counseling services, which can help clients with a variety of challenges, including navigating purchasing a home, getting a mortgage, funding home repairs, and the foreclosure process. “We go to community events all the time and people say ‘I didn’t know,’” Maria says. “Our services tend to be free, although this depends on the program,” she adds. “We do have a couple of people that say ‘Oh really, you’re free?’ and they are hesitant to start the process, but once they realize [they’re] getting this information they come back and say ‘I am so glad that I went through this.’” 

H.O.M.E. DuPage has been a member of Housing Action for more than 20 years and is one of 34 sub-grantees in our Housing Action Counseling Network. When Housing Action was awarded just over $600,000 from HUD through a newly launched Homeownership Initiative program, we were able to sub-grant funds to a handful of agencies, including H.O.M.E. DuPage. The goal of the new program is to promote sustainable homeownership by providing access to quality housing counseling services and for housing counselors to build strong relationships with clients. “The purpose of that program is to get people to get a mortgage, to be able to purchase a home, and then come back. It’s purchasing a home and actually coming back to see where you’re at with your finances after you purchased,” Maria explained. The housing counselors have found that a major barrier to homeownership was budgeting. “A lot of the people‘s highest expense was fast food. So once they realized that they were spending $700-$800 a week on fast food, and that could actually help them if they reduced that amount. That can actually go towards the mortgage payment or the extra expenses of when you are now a homeowner and you have to do the repairs and the maintenance.”

The Homeownership Initiative also has provided a launching pad for the development of H.O.M.E. DuPage’s new post-purchase counseling workshop. Maria explains, “if you’re going to do pre-purchase counseling, we want to be able to see you all the way through and not [only] see you when you’re having problems making your mortgage payment.” 

Inspired by the grant’s follow-up structure, H.O.M.E. DuPage is developing their post-purchase workshop to provide a structured way to stay in touch with clients who have purchased homes. Although some are hesitant to attend a one-on-one appointment, “ If we say ‘we’re going to have a workshop and we’re going to talk about what your mortgage statement looks like,’or ‘we’re going to have a handyman talk about what you can do around the house for maintenance,’ maybe that’s going to incentivize them as well,” says Maria.

H.O.M.E. DuPage continues to expand their programming even beyond topics directly related to the grant. “One of our two coaches, Jill Kimak,  just received certification for the NACCC credit counseling. The other coach, Nereida Ortega, is working on that as well, and I just started providing reverse mortgage counseling,” Maria says. H.O.M.E. DuPage has a lot planned for the coming year, but all of it is essential to ensuring more Illinoisans can get and remain in their homes.

 

]]> 2026 Policy Agenda https://housingactionil.org/blog/2026/01/13/2026-policy-agenda/ Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:00:45 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=518977

For nearly forty years, Housing Action Illinois has led the movement to expand affordable housing and end homelessness across our state. Our year-round collaboration with other advocates, our members and allies, direct service providers, and people with lived experience of housing instability informs this annual policy agenda, which serves as a roadmap for our advocacy work.

Our 2026 Policy Agenda includes a variety of federal and state level initiatives focused on:

If you’re interested in a summarized agenda, you can view a PDF one pager here »

View our 2026 Mid-Session Legislative Update »

The Problems We Face Today

As 2026 begins, we recognize that the landscape in which we’ve been working has changed drastically. Still, we are facing a situation long in the making: the culmination of many years of under-investment in affordable housing, stagnant wages, rising rents, and systemic discrimination. The supply of affordable homes is simply not enough to meet our communities’ needs.

As federal policy decisions have exacerbated the increase in costs for basic needs such as housing, health care, and food, the term and issue of “affordability”—though not new—has caught on in the public discourse and gained fresh urgency.

While people facing housing instability all have their own unique challenges, they share one thing in common: the need for a stable, affordable home that can serve as a foundation for their lives. We continue to make sure public resources and policies relate to housing as a basic human need and a human right.

For all the issues we work on, we can point to data and other evidence that systemic inequities and discrimination worsen these problems and disproportionately impact people based on race, ethnicity, disability, gender, age and other factors. All of our campaigns we work on have a racial and/or economic justice component.

Advancing Solutions

This agenda focuses on investments and policy changes that will bring us closer to an Illinois where everyone has a stable, affordable place to call home. Housing Action prioritizes systemic change that will end homelessness, expand affordable rental housing, and build sustainable homeownership in all Illinois communities.

We support proven strategies—such as Housing First programs, tenant protections, fair housing enforcement, housing counseling, and homelessness prevention—while aiming to address root causes. Our emphasis is on policies that will stabilize households, preserve existing affordable housing, prevent displacement, and create pathways to long-term housing security and homeownership.

In the past year, we have faced tumultuous challenges at the federal level, and in 2026, we will continue to ramp up our federal advocacy in response. At the same time, we will advocate for key state legislation that protects people, communities, and programs that work.

There are many ways to get involved; you can support this work by:

Whatever action you take, we hope you will join us.

 

2026 Federal Policy Agenda

Advocating for People Who Need Housing and Protecting the Federal Programs that Serve Them

In 2025, the Trump Administration significantly reduced HUD’s workforce and proposed eliminating many programs entirely, as well as recommending cutting the HUD budget in half. As we enter 2026, essential, evidence-based programs that have been historically under-funded are facing intensified threats.

We are advocating for the highest possible funding level for the HUD budget, overall. Specific programs and resources at stake, which we are mobilizing to defend, include:

  • Housing First programs to end homelessness. More than $182 million in current Continuum of Care funding is at risk; these resources support permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing and other critical programs across Illinois.
  • Fair housing education and enforcement. These programs protect people from housing discrimination and ensure the freedom to live in the community of one’s choice.
  • Housing counseling programs. These provide unbiased, expert guidance to help individuals and families achieve financial stability, become homeowners or renters, and navigate challenges such as eviction or foreclosure.
  • Housing Choice Vouchers, which make it possible for nearly 100,000 households in Illinois to afford the rent and lift families with children, people with disabilities, seniors and others out of poverty.

We know that other challenges and needs will arise during the year, and we will be prepared to respond and defend other programs and policies as needed.

    2026 Illinois General Assembly Agenda

    Preventing & Ending Homelessness

    Protect & Increase Funding for the State Plan to End Homelessness

    Chief Sponsors: Seantor Adriane Johnson (SB 2969) and Represenative Lindsey LaPointe (HB 4568)

    We need continued annual state investments in homelessness programs to address current threats to federal funding and to fully implement HOME Illinois, the state’s plan to prevent and end homelessness. While the state is facing its own budget challenges, we cannot stop investing in programs that serve our most vulnerable residents, people who have no place to call home.

    Shelters and outreach programs continue to be overstretched and underfunded, hourly wage workers and families are sleeping in cars, and punitive local responses—such as ticketing and fining people who are unsheltered for sleeping in parks or in their cars, or for resting on park benches—are on the rise.

    For some programs under HOME Illinois, we are urging Governor Pritzker to support modest funding increases, totaling $28.5 million, to advance the state’s plan to prevent and end homelessness. We are also advocating for an additional significant increase for Permanent Supportive Housing to help offset potential losses in federal funding. We request:

    • $14 million increase for the Emergency and Transitional Housing (ETH) program to fund approximately 700 new shelter beds. This investment addresses part of the 5,379 shelter beds identified as needed in the HOME Illinois plan and is especially critical as more municipalities pass ordinances that outlaw encampments and criminalize homelessness.
    • $7.5 million increase across three line items funding Supportive Housing Services. Investments in essential case management services have not kept pace with the expansion of new supportive housing units. Our request will support supportive housing services and provide the necessary services to keep permanent supportive housing residents safe and stably housed.
    • $5 million in additional funding for the Homeless Prevention Program to serve approximately 1,350 additional households.
    • $2 million in funding for the Homeless Youth Program to help providers expand shelter capacity and case management services for youth experiencing homelessness.
    • Additional funding, up to $60 million, for Scattered Site Permanent Supportive Housing to make up for federal funding that is still at risk of being lost due to proposed policy changes to the federal Continuum of Care program.

    Funding these increases will help build on previous investments and help to continue sustained efforts to reach functional zero homelessness in our communities.

    Our state budget request is subject to an increase based on what happens with federal funding for the Continuum of Care Program. We also realize that the State of Illinois needs additional progressive revenue to adequately fund these and other priorities (see more information on that below).

    See fact sheet »

    For more information, contact: foluke@housingactionil.org

    Partners: Homeless service providers throughout the state, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Illinois Shelter Alliance, Supportive Housing Providers Association

      Expanding & Preserving Affordable Rental Housing

      Pass the Community Safety Through Stable Homes Act

      Chief Sponsors: Senator Karina Villa (SB 2264) and Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz

      This bill prevents discrimination and protects renters from being unfairly forced from their homes due to so-called “crime-free housing and nuisance ordinances” (CFNOs). These ordinances discourage people from calling 911, disproportionately harm survivors of domestic violence and people with mental health issues, and destabilize households. This legislation will help people contact police without fear and focus on better responses to crime while also keeping individuals and families in their homes.

      This legislation builds on five years of organizing and advocacy to challenge local CFNOs across Illinois.

      See press coverage regarding introduction of our 2024 legislation on this issue and subsequent coverage about a case challenging a local CFNO »
      Read national New York Times press coverage »
      See fact sheet »
      Learn more & endorse »
      For more information, contact: bob@housingactionil.org


      Partners include: Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Open Communities, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence

        Stop Criminalizing People Experiencing Homelessness

        Chief Sponsor: Representative Kevin Olickal (HB 1429)

        We will continue to work on HB 1429, to stop the increasing criminalization of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness by local governments in Illinois. We will also advocate that local governments partner on constructive solutions to ensure that everyone has a safe affordable place to call home, such as increasing street outreach and access to shelter.

        This bill protects people from being fined or penalized for basic survival activities, such as trying to stay warm, resting, and eating. In response to a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Johnson v. Grants Pass, we are aware of more than 30 local municipalities that have adopted ordinances criminalizing homelessness.

        See fact sheet »

        See press coverage »
        Learn more & endorse »
        For more information, contact: foluke@housingactionil.org

        Partners include: Homeless service providers from throughout the state, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness

          Pass the Rental Affordability and Fee Transparency Act

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

          This bill addresses the mounting move-in fees and non-optional junk fees that renters are facing. Fees that have typically been included in the price of rent are now being tacked on, making price shopping for leases difficult and leading to surprise fees for renters. This legislation 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.

          See fact sheet »
          Learn more & endorse »
          To get involved, contact: bob@housingactionil.org

          Partners include: Law Center for Better Housing, New Moms, Supportive Housing Providers Association

            Protect Tenants in Federal Subsidized Housing

            Chief Sponsors: Senator Ram Villivalam (SB 3084) and Representative Maurice West (HB 4377)

            This legislation 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. The bill will prohibit these policies that could result in people losing their housing, unless required by federal law. Decades of research show these policies are ineffective and costly, as well as difficult to administer. Voluntary programs to help people increase their incomes and improve their job skills are far more effective and will remain permissible under this bill.

            See fact sheet »
            For more information, contact: bob@housingactionil.org

            Partners include: Impact for Equity

            Preserve Affordable Homeownership

            Support Homeowner and Community Interests in Property Tax Sale Reforms

            Chief Sponsor: Senator Celina Villanueva (SB 3940)

            In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Tyler v. Hennepin decision, we are advocating for property tax sale reforms that protect homeowners’ equity and prevent unnecessary displacement. Under Illinois’ current tax sale system, people can lose their homes and all accumulated equity over relatively small tax debts. We support a solution that would require competitive auction of the property and return the most money to the person who lost their home.

            This is a matter of racial justice as well as housing justice; our 2021 research found that the vast majority of tax sale evictions by the Cook County Sheriff occur in majority-Black communities.

            This legislation we are pursuing also includes provisions to prevent homeowners from becoming delinquent on their property taxes in the first place and making it more affordable to redeem past due property taxes.

            See fact sheet »

            See press coverage »
            Learn more about the Tyler v. Hennepin case and reform options for Illinois »
            For more information, contact: bob@housingactionil.org

            Partners include: Chicago Community Trust, Cook County President’s Office, Cook County Treasurer’s Office and Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago

            Increase Resources for Senior Home Repair: Fix Our Homes Illinois

            Chief Sponsor: Representative Kevin Olickal (HB 5169 and HB 5170)

            We are members of Fix Our Homes Illinois, a broad-based coalition dedicated to ensuring that Illinois provides low-income older homeowners the resources they need to age safely, comfortably, and affordably at home. The coalition is advocating for HB 5170, The Senior Home Preservation Program Act, creating a program provide eligible low-income older homeowners with up to $40,000 worth of basic home repairs by qualified home repair specialists at little to no cost to the homeowner. The accompanying appropriations bill (HB 5169) requests $22 million over three years.

            See press coverage »
            See fact sheet »
            Learn more & endorse »
            For more information, contact: foluke@housingactionil.org

            Partners include: H.O.M.E.

            Even More Priorities

            We continue to partner with others on a variety of equally important issues; stay tuned for more information about efforts to advance these and other campaigns:

            • Progressive Revenue: As a member of the Illinois Revenue Alliance and Responsible Budget Coalition, we advocate for progressive and equitable revenue streams for the State of Illinois to better fund programs that are essential to basic human needs and help individuals and families thrive. At a time when federal budget cuts to health care, food assistance and more are making it more challenging for the residents of our state, there needs to be a greater focus generating revenue to fund our short and long-term needs. This will require people and corporations with the highest incomes to do a bit more to satisfy the moral imperative of supporting Illinois’ lowest-income households and communities.
              • Worldwide Combined Reporting (HB 5318/SB3486) (West/Martwick): This ensures that multinational corporations cannot shift assets to avoid Illinois tax. This could contribute to $1.2 bill in revenue annually.
              • Billionaire Tax (HB 5215/SB 3376) (Mah/Villa): Taxes the asset growth of billionaires to ensure they’re paying their fair share, just like low and middle income residents do. This could bring in $916 million in revenue annually.
              • Digital Advertising Tax (HB 4894/SB 3353) (N. Hernandez/Peters): A tax on the largest companies’ digital advertisements. Estimated to bring in $1.1 billion annually.
              • Decoupling from Federal Tax Giveaways (HB 5125/SB 3796) (LaPointe/Collins): Disentangling corporate loopholes in Illinois from federal tax code, with the potential to bring in approximately $710 million annually to Illinoisans.
            • Federal and IL CRA: We co-lead the IL CRA Coalition, a group of organizations dedicated to protecting and strengthening the federal and the Illinois Community Reinvestment Acts as tools for building more equitable communities and addressing the racial wealth gap. In 2026, we will continue our outreach and education for community based organizations and other stakeholders about the IL CRA, monitor the state exam process as it ramps up, and be prepared to comment on any proposed federal rule changes should they be released this year.

            Other issues we’ll be supporting in 2026 include strengthening Community Land Trusts, the State of Illinois’ Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan, and various measures to increase the supply of housing. 

             

            Take Action

            Visit our Action Center »

            Support our work by donating or becoming a member today »

            ]]>                         From Service Year to Staff Member: Catching Up with Housing Action Corps Alumni https://housingactionil.org/blog/2025/12/12/from-service-year-to-staff-member-catching-up-with-housing-action-corps-alumni/ Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:34:31 +0000 https://housingactionil.org/?p=518200

            ​Kadasha Hershey served not just one but two year-long terms as a Systems Change AmeriCorps VISTA at Community Opportunity Alliance before joining their staff as a Program Associate. She helps coordinate capacity building programs and membership operations, including support for several projects that she started during her service. 

            “A lot of what I’m working on now has flowed very naturally from my VISTA service, and I’ve been able to see through the completion of multiple projects,” says Kadasha. “I’ve been able to begin things as a VISTA, end things as a Program Associate, and now am looking into the future and seeing how we’re going to continue these services, programs, and strategies.”

            AmeriCorps members take many different paths when they finish their terms of service, from continued national service to graduate school or traditional employment. Kadasha Hershey, Paul Panciera, and Rae Lindow—and 34% of our 2024-2025 Housing Action Corps cohort—are continuing their professional development at their host sites after accepting full-time staff positions. We caught up with these three recent alumni to learn more about their experiences during service and their new staff roles.

            From summer 2024 to fall 2025, our Housing Action Corps network connected 32 AmeriCorps VISTA members with 26 host organizations throughout Illinois, as well as in 4 other states through our national Housing Counseling Corps initiative. During a year of full-time service, our AmeriCorps members take on projects that help strengthen and sustain their organizations to meet the changing needs of their communities. In exchange for their service, Housing Action Corps members receive the benefits of the AmeriCorps VISTA program, as well as tailored professional development opportunities to launch a career in the housing field.

            ​After witnessing the housing crisis in Vancouver Island while attending college, Paul Panciera applied for a Chicago-area position with Housing Action Corps to learn about housing development firsthand and start a career in the field. 

            “AmeriCorps was perfectly aligned with my future goals, and I got the exact experience out of it that I could have hoped for,” Paul says. “I knew that I wanted to get into housing after college, but I didn’t necessarily have the background for it as a political science major….AmeriCorps could help me get that foot in the door, while also serving my community.”

            As an Affordable Housing Development VISTA, Paul helped coordinate the closing of an 81-unit mixed-use development in South Chicago, a project Claretian Associates has been working on since 2009. This development is being constructed on one of several vacant parcels of land lining a commercial corridor that the organization is planning to develop and rehabilitate. After completing his year of service, Paul accepted an offer as a Corridor Manager, where he is excited to continue supporting the development of this commercial corridor. 

            “It’s one thing to study housing from the policy side, but it’s another to actually be the one doing the development yourself. You end up learning a lot more about how development actually works,” reflects Paul. “One of the things that made staying at Claretian more attractive was this land and the opportunity to shape a whole corridor. You are part of the team that decides the direction of this whole city block.”

            After graduating college, Rae Lindow applied for Housing Action Corps to gain professional experience and learn about how communities are built. She had considered national service previously–her parents even met while serving in the Peace Corps–but was drawn to the AmeriCorps VISTA program because of the shorter term commitment (one year rather than two) and ability to apply for specific projects. After serving as an Intake Coordinator VISTA at Open Communities, Rae became an Intake and Communications Specialist. 

            Rae greets participants at Open Communities’ Walk the Redline event

            “This role is almost a continuation of what I was doing before. As an Intake Coordinator VISTA, I built up our intake program. Towards the end of my service, and moving into my current role, I shifted to doing more communications projects, too,” Rae notes. “Open Communities has been very accepting and welcoming. They trusted me to do a lot of work independently and take the lead on projects.”

            Rather than direct service, AmeriCorps VISTA members focus on capacity building projects that work behind the scenes to expand their programs, resources, and partnerships. One of Kadasha’s favorite projects from her service was planning a Midwest Convening, which gathered community development leaders from throughout the region in person to share best practices and opportunities to support their work.

            Kadasha speaks with attendees at the Community Opportunity Alliance’s National Summit

            “We gathered in St. Louis to share meals and learn from one another, while also getting to see and hear about the local community development landscape,” describes Kadasha. “The relational resilience and the strength of [the community development] sector has been encouraging to observe. It’s very mutually supportive and beneficial–we’re all out to support each other. It really is about relationships at the end of the day.”

            Kadasha decided to serve in AmeriCorps after finishing graduate school to build professional experience and explore ways to apply her education in macro social work. While she was already familiar with social programs and systems, her AmeriCorps VISTA position opened her eyes to the field of community development and set her on track for a future career path. 

            “Community development is the backbone of our communities,” Kadasha reflects. “It’s so impactful to see the work going on in the field and the difference that investing in communities can make. Community development often goes, ‘Look at what this neighborhood could be, if it had the resources and support.’ …It’s the beauty of people seeing the potential of their homes and being able to make these aspirations a reality. They see the beauty already, because it is already there, but they get everyone else to see it and support it as well.”

            While Paul chose his Housing Action Corps position with intentions of launching a career in housing, he recommends AmeriCorps service for anyone looking to grow their professional development and explore new fields.

            ​“I would encourage people, particularly if you’re not sure what to do, to try applying to AmeriCorps. You’re going to make connections and you’re going to work in new fields—and you can find what your next career is without even knowing it,” describes Paul. “In AmeriCorps, you get a lot of opportunities for further professional development that people may not think of. I got to take Chicago Rehab Network’s Community Empowerment Workshop Series during service, where I learned housing development tools I use in my role today.”

            Paul discusses Claretian Associate’s development projects at a community breakfast

            After gaining more experience in community and economic development while at Claretian Associates, Paul hopes to leverage this knowledge into a future career in housing policy. 

            “Ultimately, I would like to have a policymaker role at the city or state level, reforming some of the laws to make [housing development] easier,” Paul says. “Now having worked on the development side, I have a better understanding of what that means.”

            During Rae’s service, she created a comprehensive Intake Manual that outlines how to support people through a variety of housing circumstances, as well as how staff can practice self-care after handling a crisis situation. Serving with Housing Action Corps helped her learn about fair housing issues, as well as housing resources and programs. 

            “Coming from a different state, and being in a college bubble before, I learned so much moving to Chicago,” Rae recounts. “Each person’s story is completely different. Everyone deals with issues related to their housing–even me–but we don’t talk about it, and there are not enough action plans to help everyone in all situations. I wish more people knew about some of the housing programs that are available, and also that these programs were funded better, so they are more available and accessible to people.”

            Rae is currently applying for law school and hopes to pursue a legal and policymaking career, a decision which she attributes to her experiences with fair housing. 

            “While working my intake position, I refer so many people to legal aid, for issues small and big,” says Rae. “I see law as a way of doing both direct service, but also working on bigger issues at the same time. While I may start out working 1:1 with people, I think it is so pivotal to expand access for people, so I would want to work on that side of things too.”

            When asked what advice Kadasha has for those who are considering AmeriCorps service, she had an immediate answer: “Just go for it.”

            “AmeriCorps is a great way to see where your passions and skills lie, and how those match up with the work you want to do,” Kadasha describes. “If you are interested in what equitable housing and equitable opportunities for entrepreneurship, food access, parks, creative placemaking–if you’re interested in what these organizations are doing to brighten and support their communities, then Housing Action Corps is a great way to get introduced to this work and to find others who are also interested and passionate about this work too.”

            About Housing Action Corps

            From launching new programs to growing volunteers and donors, Housing Action Corps members spend a year of service helping their host sites enhance their services, resources, and partnerships to meet community needs in new ways.

            Applications to host AmeriCorps VISTA members with Housing Action Corps in 2026-2027 will close on January 31, 2026. Members will serve full-time with organizations in our coalition from September 2026 to September 2027. 

            Learn more about serving as a Housing Action Corps member or becoming a 26-27 host site »

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