Latest Updates
Recent Updates
Hitting the Road: 2018 Caravan
During the week of July 9, half a dozen Housing Action Illinois staff members and several of our Board members traveled throughout Illinois to listen, talk, and connect with member organizations and communities. We logged 1,700 miles and engaged with 126 individuals...
Welcome to Our New Housing Counseling Intermediary Affiliates
This spring, Housing Action is excited to welcome three new housing counseling agencies to our Housing Counseling Intermediary network: Central Detroit Christian CDC, The Housing Partnership, and Advantage Housing. Housing counselors work with clients at all income...
Report: Nowhere in Illinois Can Low-Wage Workers Afford Rent; Candidates Need to Address This Crisis
Every candidate seeking office should have a plan to address the fact that renters in Illinois must earn more than $20 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment For Immediate Release: June 13, 2018 For more information contact:...
2018 Illinois General Assembly Session Wrap-Up
Legislative Victories and Budget Progress Point the Way Forward The General Assembly completed this year’s session on May 31. Housing Action is glad to say that our legislative successes included three bills we advocated for being sent to Governor Rauner for his...
Our Chicago: Community Summit to Reflect on 50 Years of the Fair Housing Act
Leah Demarest and Rachel Schwartz are AmeriCorps VISTAs at John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic and Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, respectively. April 2018 marks 50 years since the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act. In...
Building the Next Generation of Change Agents
From recent college graduates to retirees, social workers to construction workers, the members of Housing Action Illinois' diverse AmeriCorps VISTA Network are united under one goal: to end poverty by expanding access to affordable housing. “While the...
Gathering Data to End Homelessness
Each year, every Continuum of Care must conduct a Point-in-Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness in their service area. Volunteers spend one night in January walking around and recording the number of people without shelter. PIT count data is reported...
Congress Should Consider the Gap in Affordable Rental Homes for the Poorest Households as They Finalize This Year’s Federal Budget
The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, a new report released today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and Housing Action Illinois, finds a severe shortage of affordable rental homes for the extremely low-income (ELI) renter households across the...
Report: Eviction Filings Are Barrier to Finding Future Housing—Even for Tenants Who Are Not Evicted
39% of eviction filings do not lead to a judgment against the tenant, but these tenants still get rejected when applying to rent CHICAGO—A new report by Housing Action Illinois and the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) explores how an...
A Holiday of Giving at Heartland Alliance
Back to main blog page » Stephanie Tena is an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Coordinator at Heartland Alliance. The holiday season ignites a sense of reflection, graciousness, and a call to give back to others. One of the ways to channel this altruism is to...
Press Releases
Report: Affordable Rental Housing Still Elusive For Lowest Income Americans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2014 CONTACT: Bob Palmer, Policy Director, Housing Action Illinois, 312-282-3959 (cell) or bob@housingactionil.org Report: Affordable Rental Housing Still Elusive For Lowest Income Americans According to Housing Spotlight: The...
Statement by Housing Action Illinois Commending Representative Mike Quigley’s Vote Against Legislation Underfunding Critical Housing Assistance to Low-Income Families
Representative Mike Quigley, from Illinois' 5th Congressional District, who is on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, today voted against the 2015 Transportation-HUD funding bill, although the bill was ultimately approved. This bill will set funding for important...
House FY15 Federal Budget Proposal Contains Deep Cuts for Affordable Housing Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2014 CONTACT: Bob Palmer, Policy Director, Housing Action Illinois, 312-282-3959 (cell) or bob@housingactionil.org On May 7, the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee will likely approve...
Newsletter
Media Placements
Judge temporarily blocks part of Trump’s funding cancellation, POLITICO Pro, 9/30/26
HUD Funding Notice Upends Counseling Assistance, Shelterforce, 8/27/26
Here’s what Illinois workers need to make an hour to afford rent, report says, Belleville News-Democrat, 8/18/26
Why Illinois ranks last in country for building housing, Fox 32, 8/7/26
Illinois ranks second to last in U.S. on building new housing, Crain’s Chicago Business, 8/4/26
Housing Wage in Illinois Now More than $30, NewsBreak, 7/24/26
What the ROAD to Housing Act means for Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ, 7/15/26
What federal housing reforms could mean for Evanston, Evanston Now, 6/29/26
Congress passes housing reform package. How would it impact the Chicago area?, WBEZ, 6/29/26
Despite BUILD’s failure, housing advocates celebrate legislative wins, Capitol News Illinois, 6/12/26
Illinois is one step closer to banning ‘junk fees’ and hidden charges on renters, Chicago Tribune, 6/11/26
Opinion: Building homes isn’t enough. Buyers need help, too., Crain’s Chicago Business, 6/9/26
Homelessness Isn’t Throwaway Issue, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/30/26
What is the BUILD Act and what could it mean for homeowners in Illinois if it’s passed? NBC Chicago, 5/29/26
Debate grows over Pritzker’s proposed BUILD housing plan, Fox 32 Chicago, 5/29/26
Cook County tax buyer industry would be phased out in ‘equity theft’ reform bill, Chicago Tribune, 5/28/26
Unlocking MISMO Housing Counseling Data: Insights from Industry Leaders, Actualizing Success, 5/7/26
Community organizers support Illinois bill restricting penalties for homelessness, The Daily Northwestern, 5/6/26
When the Feds Step Back on Fair Housing, Can States Step Up?, Shelterforce, 5/5/26
Illinois bill would curb homelessness penalties, Axios Chicago, 4/16/26
Even the Midwest Wants to Encourage More Housing Density, Heatmap, 4/9/26
Peoria new housing has significantly dropped since 2004, Central Illinois Proud, 4/6/26
City program wants to bring more families to the South Side and West Side one vacant lot at a time, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/3/26
Steps Illinois lawmakers could take to reform the state’s tax sale laws, Injustice Watch, 3/26/26
City Clears North Side Encampment Amid Cold Snap As Residents Wait For Housing, Block Club Chicago, 3/17/26
The Rundown: A Chicagoan’s life after deportation, WBEZ, 3/9/26
Moore: Pritzker embraces ‘abundance’ agenda with housing, nuclear proposals, Capitol News Illinois, 3/6/26
Chicago area short nearly 225,000 affordable rental units for its poorest residents, report finds, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/6/26
Will Governor Pritzker’s budget actually make housing more affordable?, WBEZ, 2/26/26
Fair housing groups hold informational session on housing voucher rights, Evanston RoundTable, 2/24/26
Proposed cuts to housing-first programs would be ‘going back like 30 years’, advocates warn, Chicago Tribune, 2/17/26
Budzinski Leads Illinois House Democrats in Demanding HUD Strengthen Housing Protections, RiverBender, 2/14/26
It’s crunch time for Cook County tax sales — and so far, Springfield isn’t helping, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2/12/26
New Humboldt Park Affordable Apartment Building Welcomes Residents: ‘I Can Breathe Now’, Block Club Chicago, 2/12/26
Plans are underway to end Cook County’s property tax sales, WBEZ, 2/12/26
Federal actions could make an affordable housing shortage worse, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2/9/26
Under Trump, HUD hardens the policies behind a program meant to shelter the city’s homeless population, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2/9/26








