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
Statement on Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) from Housing Organizations
For Immediate Release: February 19, 2026Contact: 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...
Take Action: Oppose HUD’s Proposed Elimination of Crucial Fair Housing Regulations
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,...
Expanding Homeowner Support through a New HUD Program: Spotlight on H.O.M.E. DuPage
“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...