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Our bimonthly e-newsletter shares updates, learning and networking opportunities, resources, and job announcements.
All job postings and event listings are from Housing Action Illinois, our members, funders, and organizations to which we belong. Have an opportunity we should list?
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Stories & Spotlights
Beyond VISTA: What Are Other AmeriCorps Programs Like?
Back to main blog page » During my final semester of college, AmeriCorps NCCC seemed like an attractive alternative to entering the corporate job market. NCCC offers the ability to travel the U.S. working and living with people age 18-24 on a multitude of different...
Ask Your State Senator to Protect Homebuyers from Predatory Rent-to-Own Contracts
In the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis, there has been a resurgence in predatory “rent-to-own” housing opportunities (a.k.a. contracts for deed or real estate installment contracts). These promise homeownership to people who generally are not in a financial...
Participate in the Federal Housing Budget National Call-In Day on April 26
Let’s Make Capitol Hill Phones Ring Off the Hook on April 26 Pick up your phone and join Housing Action, the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding in national call-in day on the federal budget. Ask your...
New Housing Counselor Training: The Fundamentals of Rental Counseling
Americans are more likely to rent a home today than at any other time during the previous 50 years. Given this landscape, it is essential for housing counselors to empower clients with information and resources during every step of the rental process....
From VISTA to Full-Time Staff Member: Rachel Contos
Back to main blog page » When I started college in 2011, I had a vision of myself becoming a theology professor—but rather than going in the direction of teaching, I decided I wanted to work more directly in the community and wasn't sure where to start. To prepare for...
VISTA to VISTA: Lilly and Kati Talk Life on a Stipend, Netflix, and What’s Next
Back to main blog page » VISTA to VISTA is a recurring feature where our VISTAs interview each other about their perspectives, experiences, and challenges. This March, Lilly (Hesed House) and Kati (Northwest Side Housing Center) talked about why they became...
Life After VISTA: Working at HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing
Fresh out of graduate school and wanting to pursue a totally new career, I had an idea of what I wanted to do professionally, but I just was not sure of the proper steps to achieve my goals. I did not want to rush into a job just for financial gain; I wanted to do...
Measuring the Magnitude of Homelessness
Back to main blog page » Nearly fifty volunteers assembled on Chicago’s West Side to kick off their participation in the 2017 Point-In-Time (PIT) count. I arrived promptly at 8 p.m. with a large cup of coffee and took a seat with three others. Together, we were at...
New Housing Counselor Training: Housing Counselor Online Made Easy
Home Counselor Online (HCO) is a free client management system (CMS) developed and managed by Fannie Mae that can make required reporting to HUD and other funders easier. But until now, there hasn’t been a comprehensive hands-on training to teach housing...
March 2017: Federal and State Housing Advocacy Update
Federal Level Advocacy Along with advocates from across the country who work to create affordable housing and end homelessness, we are dismayed by President Trump’s budget “blueprint" for next year. Why? The proposal cuts the HUD budget by $6.2 billion (13%). The...