Public Education & Organizing
Our members make us powerful.
We build awareness and activate change by sharing information and real-life stories with policymakers, nonprofit service providers, and the media. We keep our members and allies informed about the latest developments in housing policy, organize issue-specific working groups, meet with legislators, take the pulse of communities during our outreach caravan, and host an annual Housing Matters Conference where advocates and practitioners share their knowledge and expertise.
Our Priority Issues
Housing Action Illinois works to educate and organize around a broad range of issues aligned with our core mission of creating an Illinois where everyone has a good, affordable place to call home. Our primary issues include:
Louder Together: Multi-Sector Partnerships
To truly change our affordable housing ecosystem for the better, we need to bring together not just housing advocates but also people, organizations, and interest groups from beyond the housing field. This is why Housing Action Illinois has joined the national Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, a project of our allies at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and why we are working with advocates in pediatric health care, refugee resettlement, and the disability rights sector to raise up affordable housing as an issue that matters to all of us.
Annual Conference
During our annual conference, we build the expertise, experience, and capacity to make our communities better.
Caravan
We visit with members, host regional gatherings, and take the pulse of housing issues in rural, suburban, and urban Illinois.
Publications
Housing Action Illinois publishes research and analysis on issues related to affordable housing, as well as educational materials.
Latest News
Changes to Illinois’ Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferrals Increase Affordability of Program
Applications are due March 1, 2024 for this property tax deferral program. Starting with property taxes due in tax year year 2023, which are due in 2024, a change in state law has permanently lowered the interest rate for eligible seniors who defer some or all of the...
Protecting the Freedom to Choose Where You Live
Fair housing laws to prevent discrimination “have existed for 55 years, but when we look at the current trends, we don’t see the instances of discrimination going down. That’s because how discrimination manifests continues to evolve; we win one fight and then a new...
Enough for All
As we work to end homelessness for both Illinoisans already experiencing homelessness and new arrivals, we must stay united and focus on housing as a basic human need for all.A Shifting Landscape Since August 31, 2022, more than 30,000 people who are asylum seekers,...