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
Illinois House Hearing on Homeownership
On May 20, the Illinois House Economic Development & Housing Committee, chaired by State Representative Marcus Evans, held a hearing titled Single Family Homeownership – Affordability, Stability and Economic Impact. Bob Palmer, Policy Director for Housing Action...
Despite Renters in Illinois Needing to Earn $18.78 Per Hour in Order to Afford a Basic Two-Bedroom Apartment, House Budget Defunds National Housing Trust Fund
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. CT CONTACT: Bob Palmer, Policy Director, Housing Action Illinois, 312-282-3959 (cell) or bob@housingactionil.org Renters in Illinois need to earn $18.78 per hour in order to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment,...
RBC State Budget Day of Action: Choose Revenue. Avoid Cuts.
Governor Rauner’s proposed budget would devastate our families and communities. But lawmakers and the governor don’t have to make those cuts—they have a choice. Instead of painful cuts to vital programs for our children, families and communities, lawmakers and the...