History & Mission
Housing Illinois is a coalition of over three dozen housing advocates, planning organizations, faith-based service and advocacy groups, foundations, development intermediaries, nonprofit developers, public agencies, and financial institutions organized in 2001 to develop a communications outreach campaign that will generate the civic will to increase the supply and acceptance of affordable housing throughout the Chicago metro region.

Housing Illinois was originated by the Chicago Rehab Network (CRN) and is managed by a steering committee co-chaired by CRN and Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI).

Housing Illinois’ goal is to bolster support and minimize opposition to affordable housing. Housing Illinois developed communications materials and strategies that will create the civic will necessary to increase the availability of affordable housing in the greater Chicago area and the state of Illinois by:

1) Making the public and policy makers more aware of the affordable housing crisis and informed of its scope, causes, and solutions;
2) Demonstrating to the public and policy makers that it is both important and feasible to solve the problem;
3) Engaging both the public and policy makers in actively developing and supporting solutions to the problem.