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
Report: Nowhere in Illinois Can Low-Wage Workers Afford Rent; Federal Budget Would Make Situation Worse
President Trump’s proposed federal budget would increase hardship and homelessness for renters, who must earn more than $20 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment For Immediate Release: June 8, 2017 For more information contact: Kristin Ginger, Communications...
General Assembly Session Recap: Continued Budget Impasse Mixed with Legislative Victories
Still No State Budget, But Senate Democrats Demonstrate a Positive Path Forward For the third year in a row, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned on May 31 without agreeing on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. It is frustrating and discouraging that our...
Legislation to Protect Rent-to-Own Homebuyers Passes Illinois General Assembly
Bill Will Protect People from Predatory Contracts for Deed and Installment Sales Contracts UPDATE: Governor Rauner has signed this bill into law, and it will become effective on January 1, 2018. State legislation to create important consumer protections for people...