Momentum: 35 Years of Housing Action

Housing Action Illinois

of Housing Action

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A proud partner in advancing

the programs and solutions

that provide fair and equal

housing opportunities for all!

B A N K I N G B U I LT B E T T E R.

1-855-696-4352 | midlandsb.com

Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC.

NMLS #411141.To learn more, visit www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

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contents

4 introduction

SHARON LEGENZA

5 thin line

TRACY OCCOMY CROWDER

6 taking the pulse

LAURIE PETERSON

8 motel tenants change

state law

GAIL SCHECHTER

10 utilities, records, &

repairs: protecting tenants

across illinois

ESTHER PATT

12 from tree man to karaoke

challenges: getting creative

to address homelessness

JULIE DWORKIN

14 returning home

MARKETTA SIMS

15 finding inspiration in

unexpected places

KATIE GOTTSCHALL DONOHUE

16 milestones timeline

20 through thick and thin

BOB CAMPBELL

22 lighting candles

LAURA OLVERA

24 we’ve come a long way

DAWN SHELLY RICHARDSON

26 a fair chance at rebuilding

WILLETTE BENFORD

27 it is up to us

SOPHIA NICHOLE O’QUIN

WITH ARTWORK BY ABBY O’QUIN

28 what does the future of

affordable housing look like?

31 the chance to tell a story

KAITLYN GREENHOLT

32 affordable for whom?

AURIE PENNICK

33 as fine a group as one

could wish for

WALLY KING

34 thank you

35 about housing

action illinois


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It comes down to the people.

People are at the heart of our communities, our work, and

our organization.

That’s what we heard, time and again, as we spoke with longtime

partners, former staff and Board, staunch allies, and advocates

about Housing Action’s past 35 years. We have evolved and

accomplished an immense amount since our founding; our history

includes a wide range of significant policy wins, capacity building

initiatives, public outreach, peer conferences, and research.

Our coalition runs broad and deep, and over the years we’ve

brought together and collaborated with hundreds of organizations

and thousands of supporters to make good things happen.

Together, we’re making critical progress on ending homelessness

and expanding access to affordable homes for all—one bill, one

training, one AmeriCorps VISTA member placement at a time.

But lists of accomplishments and impact numbers don’t center

the human connection that is at the heart of what we do and

why we do it.

With that in mind, we’ve focused this 35th anniversary publication on

the people who reflect our values, and who have partnered with us to

make our mission and vision a reality. People like Tracy, Laurie, Gail,

Esther, Julie, Marketta, Katie, Bob, Laura, Shelly, Willette, Sophia,

Abby, Kaitlyn, Aurie, and Wally, who all wrote reflections for this

publication. They represent allies we’ve worked with for decades,

staff who created and implemented key programs, Board members

who guided the organization as we grew, and advocates who worked

with us to change Illinois for the better.

Join us in celebrating these different voices, perspectives,

and memories from a few of the individuals who have made a

difference with Housing Action Illinois.

Then join us in turning toward the future. We asked students

in William Estrada’s Collaborative Resistance Printshop to

consider what tomorrow might hold for affordable housing and

homelessness, and the prints they created in response illustrate

their hopes and concerns. There’s also an urgency in their work

because we’re still too far away from realizing our goals.

We know there’s still much that needs to be done. As we celebrate

how far we’ve come, we’re also renewing our resolve to work

until every Illinoisan has a good place to call home.

Thank you to the sponsors who have made this publication

possible, and to all of the contributors who have made Momentum:

35 Years of Housing Action so special. And to you, for being a part

of Housing Action Illinois’ past, present, and future.

SHARON LEGENZA

Executive Director


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35 Years of Housing Action

thin line

TRACY OCCOMY CROWDER

Community Organizing and Family Issues | Housing Action Illinois staff from 1990–2004

Tracy Occomy Crowder’s mother, Norma

Jean Occomy, at her high school prom

Tracy Occomy Crowder during her time

with Housing Action Illinois

Step on a crack

Break your mother’s back

But when the cracks are all over the walls and ceiling?

It takes my mother back

To the Jim Crow South of her youth

Separate and unequal

In her shotgun house (full of good food and love)

Out of love

They sent her alone

Along the thin line

From Birmingham to the Southside of Chicago

Believing she could escape the fault in the South South

that threatened to swallow her whole

The idea behind the Southside in the North

better schooling

good job

true love

high hopes

All that was true

And with it came

A crumbling ceiling

Bankruptcy

Predatory Loan

Near Foreclosure

And those cracks?

The sign of a foundation, no longer stable

Or a promise that never was

And, as for me?

I still choose to live on the Southside (with love)

Near my own people

Yet, thin lines, green line, redline

Keeping us all apart

Still separate and unequal

But, the work of Housing Action Illinois

is a salve

to help fill the gaps

and seal the cracks


5


taking the

pulse

LAURIE PETERSON

Retired, formerly with PNC

Housing Action Illinois Board Member from 2007–2017

Since our beginning, Housing Action Illinois has traveled around our state

for what we call our Outreach Caravan to visit with members, host regional

gatherings, and identify trends in housing issues across Illinois.

Laurie (seventh from left) with 2016 Board of Directors

“It is amazing how the simple act of

visiting a community in need can put in

motion the preservation and creation of

decent, affordable, accessible housing for

our neighbors throughout Illinois.”

OUR QUEST:

How do you provide support and promote housing development

for regions you don’t know? Maybe have never been to?

What are the housing needs in each pocket of Illinois and how

can Housing Action Illinois help the local stakeholders to

attain them?

From little burgs like Cache (pop. 2,826) to Rockford (pop.

147,070). From East St. Louis (pop. 26,543) to West Union (pop.

288). 58,000 square miles. Housing Action’s mission makes us

responsible for every community.

So throughout the years, Housing Action Illinois staff and Board

have taken to the road to visit communities throughout Illinois,

hoping to take the pulse of housing needs in different areas. This

is the Caravan.

Caravan stop in southern Illinois in the early 2000s

As a Board Member, I attended several of these Caravans in the

2000s. Most of us had never been to these towns and villages,

but using our printed MapQuest directions (ha!), we all managed.

Sometimes the group moved like a parade from place to place

each day. Often, our group morphed depending on who could

make it where. You know. We all had day jobs, too!

A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS, RIGHT?

SO PICTURE THIS:

A car or two or three. At least one van. So that’s our Housing

Action Illinois Caravan. Actually, there were more vehicles, but

you get the idea. Here we were, Board members from across the

58,000 square miles of Illinois and Housing Action Illinois staff

traveling from the Chicago area. Visiting multiple local nonprofits,

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government agencies, churches and schools. Some of these

groups were Housing Action members, some were other kinds

of local stakeholders.

At every stop, the plan was the same, but with different faces,

different organizations.

The questions piled up as soon as we gathered: If we travel,

will they come? What does this particular area need in the way of

housing? Apartments? Mobile homes? Senior facilities? Single family

homes? Homeless services? Ownership or rental? What/who are the

population that are underserved? Is housing the initial answer? What

about jobs, education, transportation, medical needs?

Then, the big question that had to first be answered before the

Caravan could caravan: Who are the local stakeholders? Then

later: What do they think is needed? Who can do what locally?

How do we support their needs? Do they align with our mission?

Do they have the interest and capacity to work with us?

TAKEAWAYS:

I felt at times that I brought little to the actual discussion. I was

the banker at the table, and I understood the “why” of the

affordable housing need. What I didn’t really grasp was what that

need looked like in the many towns of Illinois. Every Caravan stop

had its own story, colored with the dynamics of that community or

region. I was there to absorb the needs, the asks, the dreams, the

problems of each individual area of our magnificent state. I was

appalled at some of the housing situations we saw, yet amazed

at the tenacity and fierce pride in these communities.

At some point, my job was to see how the financial institutions

could assist, and to help Executive Director Sharon Legenza and

staff prioritize the different needs of the communities. That would

happen after the Caravan, after digesting and analyzing the new

information. It was an arduous task, but the core of so much that

Housing Action Illinois did and continues to do.

All these years later, I still am very proud of my involvement

with Housing Action Illinois. It is amazing how the simple act of

visiting a community in need can put in motion the preservation

and creation of decent, affordable, accessible housing for our

neighbors throughout Illinois. •

All we can add to

your list of

accomplishments

is our sincere

thanks.

Congratulations, Housing Action Illinois. And thank you for inspiring others to step up and make a difference.

Contact Niccole Clements, VP - Community Development Banking

niccole.clements@pnc.com • 217-741-1647 • pnc.com/communitydevelopmentbanking

©2022 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC

CON PDF 0618-0106


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motel tenants

change state law

Housing Action Illinois as a vehicle

for grassroots-led change

Morton Grove Champion coverage of meeting between Admiral Oasis

Motel residents and village officials

GAIL SCHECHTER

Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.)


Gail Schechter (second from left) with tenants

of the Suburban Motel, Morton Grove

“...discrimination was difficult to prove

and poor people were not protected under

the Fair Housing Act.”

It was just before Christmas 1997, and 170 residents of a motel in

Morton Grove were ordered to move out by the new year. When

several of these residents called me at Open Communities for help,

my next call was to Housing Action Illinois.

Morton Grove, a Chicago suburb, had designated its Waukegan

Road commercial corridor a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district,

and the first target of its “quick take” powers was the 100-room

Admiral Oasis Motel. It would soon be followed by the Fireside Inn

and the Suburban Motel. The story of these motels is a lesson in

how marginalized people in a small suburb can wage a campaign

not only for themselves, but to change a system that considered

them “blight.”

Barbara Ehrenreich’s popular book, Nickel and Dimed, newly

released at the time, revealed precisely what I found at the Admiral

Oasis Motel: people struggling to make ends meet on multiple lowpaying

service jobs with no benefits and living in motels because

they required no security deposits, allowed weekly payments,

and were close to work. Our first tenant meeting was filled with

people in uniform—maids, busboys, transit workers. The people

who lived there did not match the rest of the population of Morton

Grove, although some had lived in the motel for years, like Elmer,

the taxicab driver who resided in the basement for three decades.

About half of the residents were white single men, most of whom

were veterans. The other half were Black and Latinx families.

As the executive director of Open Communities (then called the

Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs) and a long-time

tenant organizer, I worked closely with Housing Action Illinois (then

known as the Statewide Housing Action Coalition, or SHAC) and

their director at the time, Judy Meima, to inform the Admiral Oasis

residents of their rights and boost their morale, encouraging them,

with our support, to stand up to the Village. Morton Grove had

declared the strip of Waukegan Road between Dempster and Golf

a TIF district, a state-permitted designation to a municipality for a

“blighted” area that would not be developed without property tax

breaks. Morton Grove was certain that adding big box retailers to

the corridor would be the answer to their sagging tax base.

Interfaith and SHAC brokered a meeting between motel residents

and the Village’s elected officials. Tenants sported buttons

they made reading “I’m Not Blight.” The meeting between the

tenants and the Village trustees was the first time the Village

acknowledged that the tenants were not “riff-raff” (a term used

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by neighbors). We received excellent press coverage locally (the

sympathetic Pioneer Press reporter had been a cab driver himself) 1

and regionally, with a seven-minute story on WBEZ public radio.

We worked with several tenants to file fair housing complaints

with HUD and Cook County against Morton Grove, on the basis

that shutdowns had a disparate impact based on race, national

origin, and disability. Since the case involved a municipality, the

Justice Department (DOJ) took over. I remember meeting two

DOJ representatives who were sympathetic, but told me that

discrimination was difficult to prove and poor people were not

protected under the Fair Housing Act.

In the end, through the power of organizing and media attention,

the tenants got time and money. The same was the case with the

next motel on the list, the smaller Fireside Inn. They still had to

move—but they successfully fought for change. An elderly veteran

from the Admiral Oasis drove to Springfield with me as part of a

successful campaign spearheaded by Housing Action Illinois to

change the law, and we both testified.

By the time Morton Grove went after a third motel in that corridor,

the Suburban, we had succeeded in changing state TIF law to

protect low-income families facing displacement. Under the new

TIF statute, if at least 10 low-income residents are displaced

through a TIF, the municipality must shoulder the cost and

obligation of relocation to nearby housing. The new TIF law also

allowed for TIF funds to be used to finance affordable housing.

I had organized the Suburban tenants, about a dozen residents,

including a Holocaust survivor and a formerly homeless woman,

who agreed not to take the little relocation money the Village

offered them and to advocate for their rights. Our attorney, Jeff

Taren, warned the Village that they could be subject to the first test

case under the new TIF law. So, the Village agreed to provide full

relocation assistance and benefits.

A Morton Grove staff person at one point called me, frustrated that

after he had set up an appointment for a tenant to view a unit, the

landlord rented it to someone else. Exasperated, he asked me,

not in the least aware of the irony of his question, “Where’s the

affordable housing?” •

FOOTNOTE:

1. Nick Katz, of the Pioneer Press paper, Morton Grove Champion, covered the story, which

made the front page on February 26, 1998, on the occasion of the meeting with Village

officials. See photo.

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9


utilities, records, & repairs:

protecting

tenants

across illinois

ESTHER PATT

Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union (founding organization)

Since our founding, Housing Action has mobilized advocates

to speak up for statewide change

“The Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union

has been a member of Housing Action

since its creation. Housing Action is our

only vehicle for our staying connected

with activity in the legislature that will

improve or diminish tenants’ rights.”

STOPPING UNFAIR UTILITY CHARGES

In 1990, a few leaders from Housing Action Illinois met with people

in Champaign-Urbana for ideas about what statewide legislation

was needed to support tenant rights.

I shared a few stories from Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union

clients about discovering that their individually-metered public

utility bills included service to areas outside their units. Complaints

come up every year.

We hear about duplexes where one tenant’s lease says heat is

included in the rent, but another tenant is unknowingly paying for it.

From time to time, we hear from a tenant of a basement apartment

who finds the “individual” meter for their unit is the building meter

that includes hallway lights and operation of washers and dryers

in the laundry room.

We worked with Housing Action to draft a bill, and Housing Action

staff found legislators to sponsor the bill and organized support

for its passage. Since 1992, tenants across Illinois have benefited

from Housing Action’s work to win amendments to the Rental

Property Utility Service Act that include a penalty of three times

actual damages.

PROTECTIONS FOR RENTERS

WITH RECORDS IN URBANA

A smaller but important victory for those of us living in the East-

Central Illinois city of Urbana was defeating a bill that would have

invalidated the Urbana Human Rights Ordinance’s prohibition of

housing discrimination based on “prior arrest or conviction record.”

Since 1979, Urbana law has said that disparate treatment or denial

of housing based on criminal record is an unlawful violation of

city code—just as it would be if the reason were race, disability,

religion, or any other protected class.

In 2005, then-State Representative Chapin Rose introduced a

bill that granted landlords the right to use criminal records to

screen applicants and would preempt any local laws prohibiting

such discrimination. Urbana was not in Representative Rose’s

district, and I would not have even heard about the bill if I had

not been contacted by Housing Action. A city council member

from Urbana, the lobbyist from the Illinois Municipal League, and

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Housing Action testified against the bill in committee, where it

was killed.

RIGHT TO REPAIR & DEDUCT

Finally, in 2007, Illinois tenants won the right to make repairs and

deduct the cost from their rent when a landlord fails to perform

repairs required by the law or by the lease. Local ordinances

protected tenants in Chicago, Evanston, and Mt. Prospect, but

all other residents had no legal protection against eviction for

non-payment of rent if they used any rent money for repairs instead

of paying it to the landlord.

Housing Action organized individuals from around Illinois to lobby

for the bill that is now 765 ILCS 742. Often, tenants are able to get

a landlord to do the repair just by sending notice of their intent to

use the law.

STRONGER TOGETHER

The Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union has been a member of

Housing Action since its creation. Housing Action is our only

vehicle for our staying connected with activity in the legislature

that will improve or diminish tenants’ rights. Tenant Union’s work

is almost entirely information and advocacy service for individual

clients, and the people we serve greatly benefit from the legislative

advocacy work done by Housing Action. •

Another advocacy march in Springfield, back when Housing Action

was known as SHAC (Statewide Housing Action Coalition)

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11


from tree man to karaoke

challenges: getting creative

to address homelessness

JULIE DWORKIN

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (founding organization) | Housing Action Illinois Board Member from 2001–2007

Julie Dworkin (right) at the launch party for Housing Action Illinois’ new name

Julie Dworkin (at podium) addresses press during It Takes a Home to Raise a Child campaign

DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT DISPLACEMENT:

IF I DRESS LIKE A TREE, WILL YOU CARE

ABOUT ME?

My first experience working with Housing Action Illinois (Statewide

Housing Action Coalition at the time) was on our South Loop

Campaign for Development Without Displacement. The goal of the

campaign was to get the city to invest in affordable housing in the

South Loop. The mayor at the time, Richard M. Daley, had moved

to the area to live in new department called “Central Station”

and the city was investing tons of Tax Increment Financing (TIF)

dollars into upscale housing, but no affordable housing. It was

1996, leading up to the Democratic Convention in Chicago, and

the mayor was spending millions of dollars planting tons of trees

and flowers in the middle of streets downtown to spruce up the city

while chasing homeless people off of Lower Wacker Drive.

We came up with the idea to create a “Tree Man” who would

plague Mayor Daley at public events leading up to the convention

wearing a sign saying, “If I dress like a tree, will you care about

me?” Marc Jolin, an intern at SHAC (who later went on to head

up the Joint Office of Homeless Services in Portland) created the

costume for the Tree Man—a burlap sack to cover the person’s

face while providing visibility with tree branches coming out the

top. This was one of the most fun and creative actions I have

been a part of in my time at Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

(CCH). It culminated with us planting a tree in the middle of

Wabash Avenue.

The campaign ended with the victory of city funding for two large

Single Room Occupancy (SRO) buildings in the South Loop and

preservation of some existing SROs.

IT TAKES A HOME TO RAISE A CHILD

In the late 90s, we decided to turn our attention to the state for our

housing advocacy. The state was flush with money at the time due

to the tech boom and actually had a budget surplus.

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CCH came up with the idea of It Takes a Home to Raise a

Child, a multi-initiative campaign which included advocacy for

a homelessness prevention program, a mortgage assistance

program, a rental subsidy program, and an affordable housing

capital funding program. Although the programs would serve

all people experiencing homelessness, we decided to frame

the messaging for the campaign around children to break the

stereotype that only adults experience homelessness. Housing

Action Illinois approached us about partnership on the campaign

and, in 1998, we launched the campaign with co-leadership

between the two organizations.

Our first goal was to create a program to provide emergency

rental assistance to keep people in their homes. We modeled the

program after a similar statewide program in Minnesota which

gave flexibility to local organizations to figure out the greatest

funding needs in their communities. The legislation sailed through

Another fond memory I have of being on the Board of Housing

Action was when then executive director, Judy Meima, and Board

president, Mike Wasserberg, issued a challenge to the Board. I

believe it had to do with turnout for an event or a similar Board

ask, but they said if we met the goal, the two of them would sing

Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Well, the challenge worked, and Judy

and Mike rented a karaoke machine and sang “My Way” for the

whole Board.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

CCH was one of the organizations that founded Housing Action

Illinois. Our partnership, strengthened by many campaigns

over the years, continues today; we partner regularly around

budget and housing legislation. We recently were successful

in increasing Homeless Prevention Program funding, which

had been cut during the 2008 recession. We also were able to

make some changes to the program to increase the amount of

Advocates gather in Springfield to raise awareness for the It Takes a Home to Raise a Child Campaign

Hitting the streets to call for action during the It Takes a Home to Raise a Child campaign

the legislature because it didn’t have any funding attached to it.

(Fun fact: the Senate sponsor for the bill was Barack Obama.)

After passage of the bill, we were able to convince Governor Ryan

to allocate $1 million in funding to get the Homeless Prevention

Program off the ground. The funding was just a drop in the bucket

compared to the need, and we worked together to increase the

funding to $11 million by 2006. The program has now helped over

128,000+ households avoid homelessness.

FROM SHAC TO HOUSING ACTION ILLINOIS

I was part of the Board of Directors when Housing Action Illinois

decided to change its name, which happened in 2006. I’m not

really sure how the founders thought that SHAC was a good

acronym for an organization that works on affordable housing. It

would be like calling an anti-hunger organization STARVE. I believe

that I am the one who came up with the new name, Housing Action

Illinois, but I bet that someone out there would dispute that. Maybe

it is in the Board minutes.

assistance a household could receive. It’s been a good, long run

and we are excited for the next 35 years (hopefully shorter if we

manage to end homelessness and housing instability). •

“We came up with the idea to create a

“Tree Man” who would plague Mayor

Daley at public events leading up to the

convention wearing a sign saying, ‘If I

dress like a tree, will you care about me?’

…This was one of the most fun and creative

actions I have been a part of in my time at

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH).”


13


returning

home

MARKETTA SIMS

Corporation for Supportive Housing &

Supportive Housing Providers Association

The stories of people who live in supportive housing can shed light on

important issues. Because of this, Housing Action Illinois partnered with the

Supportive Housing Providers Association in 2019 for a series of workshops to

help residents of permanent supportive housing explore telling stories to make

a difference. Marketta Sims participated in one such workshop.

Marketta Sims

“...no matter what you go through,

you do not have to stay stagnant.”

I was homeless and without a doubt in despair. I had nowhere to

go and no one to turn to. I was going through domestic violence

with my family after returning home after serving thirteen years

inside of walls that could not bind my spirit. I told my children

after my 90 days of house arrest that it was like living with the

devil herself. I would have to leave and better myself because,

if I could not love or be good to myself, I would not be able to love

my children the way they needed me to. I rose against the odds

when my task worker was off duty but still went to a shelter with

me called Prosperity House in the middle of the night to make

sure that I was in a safe environment.

I had to stay on the couch the first night, but after that I ended

up in the Butterfly Room. I then pursued permanency because

I knew I needed more in order to be successful. So I called

Catholic Charities and they referred me to Grace House. I had

to go on and interview to be accepted into this shelter. I got

accepted and the first thirty days are self-healing, so no jobs

or going out of the house. I had therapy which was wonderful

because it helped me understand a lot of things that I was

experiencing since I returned home.

Then a Debbie Downer took the place of my wonderful

administrator from the Grace House program. She doubted

everything I encountered, and I proved her wrong every time.

I had gained weight and she thought that when I joined Back

on My Feet I would not survive running, but I am an alum and

still participate when needed. When I transitioned into the SRO

(Single Room Occupancy) living unit, she doubted my ability to

get in. I was accepted and then, after living there for two years,

received my Section 8 voucher which is a blessing in itself.

People wait for many years to experience the blessings that

were bestowed upon me and I want to share this experience

of homelessness because everyone deserves to be happy in

their lives.

Favor is not fair, and what you put into the atmosphere

will be granted back to you. Anyone who is struggling with

homelessness needs to be uplifted in such a way because it

can end up messing with the person physically and mentally.

Let them know to—despite all odds—remain faithful and stay

amongst people that can make them see better days. My light

and inspiration to move forward every day were my children,

who I love and cherish so much. I want to leave behind a legacy

showing that no matter what you go through, you do not have

to stay stagnant. I leave you with a quote of mine: With great

sacrifices come great accomplishments! •

14


finding inspiration

in unexpected places

Reflections on my work at Housing Action

KATIE GOTTSCHALL DONOHUE

Housing Action Illinois staff from 2006–2014

Katie Gottschall Donohue in action

Sometimes, the most inspiring work comes from unexpected places.

Driving down a small road in a rural part of Illinois I’d never been

before to meet with a new nonprofit organization working on their first

development deal. Meeting with a faith-based organization in the far

southwest Chicago suburbs in order to apply for funding to make their

development budget work. Meeting with a small but mighty nonprofit

in the northernmost part of the state to combat NIMBY-ism. Watching

various organizations go through Housing Action Illinois’ five-part

Community Housing Developers Institute each year in Springfield,

learning from the best in the field, and walking away with the starting

blocks to get their affordable housing development going.

Each of these experiences taught me about the resilience of

those who choose to make this their life’s work, and added to my

understanding of how the life stories that people bring to their work

are often what makes it so meaningful.

My fondest memories from working at Housing Action are of the

people I met. People all over the state who were doing the hard

work of improving their communities and who knew that quality

affordable housing was an essential part of this work. From small

nonprofits who had never attempted housing development before,

but who knew they needed the skills to do so to best serve their

communities, to experienced developers looking to partner with

community nonprofits that could help them do their jobs better.

I loved going to new towns in Illinois to meet inspiring people

who told me their stories while we walked through CHDO

(Community Housing Development Organization) certification

or while we discussed partnership opportunities that could

make their developments work. Not only would I learn about a

particular project an organization was undertaking, but I would

inevitably learn stories that made the history and need for those

developments more visible. Stories about how the small community

that the executive director grew up in made them want to create

that sense of community here. Or I’d learn what growing up with

an extended family network meant to the development director

working on their first aging in place initiative. Or that being the

smart and funny kid always allowed the community organizer to

fit in and now helped them to do their best work.

Housing development is hard work. It requires resources,

expertise, strategy, partnership, and heart. Lots and lots of heart

to do it right, to persevere, and to do it for those who need it most.

The stories I heard always showed me that heart, and they still sit

with me today. I wonder about the organizations I worked with and

how their work has endured and changed over time. I know that

those we worked with were doing their best to create housing and

to make communities across Illinois better. I feel lucky that I got to

be a tiny part of their stories. •


15

milestones

1980s

1990s

1986–1987

OUR FOUNDING

• Recognizing the need to tackle

affordable housing at the state level,

46 organizations join together and

decide to campaign for the Illinois

Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

• We officially incorporate as the

Statewide Housing Action Coalition

(SHAC) in 1987.

1990

ILLINOIS AFFORDABLE

HOUSING TRUST FUND

• The Illinois Affordable Housing Trust

Fund is established and begins providing

grants and loans to home developers

and rehabbers.

As of 2022, the fund has distributed

more than $939 million in funding,

leading to the creation of 74,725

affordable housing units.

1999

TIF REFORM

• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reform

legislation increases transparency,

requires impact studies, and mandates

compensation for displaced households.

1993

FEDERAL POLICY

ADVOCACY

• We become a state partner of the

National Low Income Housing Coalition

(NLIHC) and start engaging in federal

level advocacy.

16

2000s

1999–2005

IT TAKES A HOME

TO RAISE A CHILD

• We co-lead the It Takes a Home to

Raise a Child campaign with the

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless,

successfully advocating to create the

state Homeless Prevention Program and

the Rental Housing Support Program.

The Homeless Prevention Program

provides rent and utility assistance to

people at risk for homelessness and has

prevented homelessness for more than

128,000 households.

The Rental Housing Support Program,

a rent subsidy program with a dedicated

funding stream of $25 million in its first

year, continues to assist 2,500 extremely

low-income households each year.

2004

COMMUNITY HOUSING

DEVELOPERS INSTITUTE

• We launch the Community Housing

Developers Institute (CHDI), a workshop

series that educated hundreds of

housing developers.

2005–2016

NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST

FUND CAMPAIGN

• The National Housing Trust Fund

Campaign creates a dedicated funding

stream for building, preserving, and

maintaining affordable rental housing.

Since 2016, Illinois has received

significant allocations from the NHTF,

including $33.7 million in FY22.

2006

BECOMING HOUSING

ACTION ILLINOIS &

EXPANDING SUPPORT FOR

HOUSING COUNSELORS

• Statewide Housing Action Coalition

(SHAC) becomes Housing Action

Illinois. We begin providing education

to housing counselors.


17

milestones

2010s

2008

ADDRESSING THE

FORECLOSURE CRISIS

• We increase our housing counselor

training to ensure consumers facing

mortgage delinquency and default

can turn to trusted, knowledgeable

advisors.

2009

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

AS INFRASTRUCTURE

• Affordable housing is included in

an Illinois capital budget for the first

time with an allocation of $130 million.

A decade later, the next capital

budget includes $200 million for

affordable housing.

2010

AMERICORPS VISTA

PROGRAM SPONSOR

• We become an AmeriCorps VISTA

Program Sponsor and start placing

full-time, one-year VISTA members

with organizations to build sustainable

capacity. Seven years later, we expand

the program to include Summer VISTA

Associates.

Our AmeriCorps VISTAs have raised

more than $5.6 million in cash and inkind

donations, managed thousands of

volunteers, and worked on a wide range

of projects to help communities promote

affordable housing.

2014

HUD HOUSING COUNSELING

INTERMEDIARY

• We become a HUD-Approved Housing

Counseling Intermediary and begin

distributing funds from HUD to an

affiliate network of housing counseling

agencies.

Our initial award was $307,000 for 12

agencies; in 2022, we were awarded

$1.4 million for 35 agencies.

2019

GOING NATIONWIDE WITH

HOUSING COUNSELOR

TRAININGS

• After developing a suite of Illinois-based

trainings, we go nationwide with our

workshops to help housing counselors

better serve communities around the

country.

18

2020s

2019

JUST HOUSING

INITIATIVE

• We co-lead the campaign to pass

the Just Housing Amendment, a

groundbreaking measure that will ensure

housing providers in Cook County do

not discriminate against applicants with

arrest and conviction records.

2020

COVID-19 RESPONSE

& RELIEF FUNDING

• We address immediate shelter needs

with $485,000 in subgrants to 30

homeless service providers, advocate

for federal relief funding for HUD, and

successfully urge state lawmakers

to dedicate funds to housing. We

support housing counseling agencies in

providing virtual counseling.

Illinois committed more than $325

million for emergency rent and mortgage

assistance—the largest housing

commitment by any state.

2021

ILLINOIS COMMUNITY

REINVESTMENT ACT (CRA)

• The Illinois CRA establishes an

oversight system to ensure that

residents are equitably served by banks,

credit unions, and mortgage companies.

2021

LANDMARK STATE

HOUSING LEGISLATION

• The landmark Affordable Housing

Omnibus Bill creates new resources for

affordable rental housing and property

tax policies to keep rent affordable.

2022

SOURCE OF INCOME

DISCRIMINATION

PROTECTIONS

• Statewide protections against source

of income discimination make it illegal

to deny applicants solely for using nonwage

income (such as Housing Choice

Vouchers) to pay rent.


19


through thick

& thin

BOB CAMPBELL

ZION Development Corporation

Housing Action Illinois Board Member from 2007–present

Bob Campbell (right) joins a 2016 conference

panel on Rockford’s Strong Home model

“Housing Action provided the lifeline that

we all needed to make it through the first

few years following the collapse of the

housing market.”

EARLY CONNECTIONS

It is so hard to believe that Housing Action Illinois is celebrating

our 35th Anniversary! I use the word “our” purposefully,

because I’ve been a part of organizations that are members of

Housing Action for most of those 35 years. That membership

makes me, and all of the other staff of Housing Action member

organizations, a vital part of Housing Action’s success.

My first recollections of involvement with Housing Action go

back to the early 2000s, when my current organization, ZION

Development Corporation, won a Golden Trowel award, which

Housing Action used to present to individuals and communitybased

groups for making significant progress towards achieving

housing justice in Illinois. I was sent to the conference in

Springfield to accept the award. I also attended a hearing in the

western suburbs on a legislative issue that Housing Action was

mobilizing around. In both cases, I remember the excitement

around gathering together with housing advocates from around

the state.

In 2005, I took over our local housing counseling organization,

which later merged to become HomeStart, and found myself

getting much more involved with Housing Action’s work in the

housing counseling community. The networking within the

housing counseling community was unlike anything I had seen

in my professional experience. I remember being told by

Housing Action staff, “You need to meet Cheryll Boswell from

Peoria.” After hearing about Cheryll for a year or so, I finally

gave her a call one day and we set up lunch in the LaSalle-

Peru area. We became fast friends and fellow advocates in

the housing counseling community. I was even able to direct

a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) development to

Cheryll’s then-organization, METEC Resource Center, as a

result of that friendship.

A LIFELINE DURING THE 2008

HOUSING MARKET COLLAPSE

When I first entered the housing counseling world, I began hearing

people talk about the imminent collapse of the housing market.

This was before any of the politicos were talking about a recession,

and most “experts” were still talking up the housing market as the

best place to invest money. Counselors were on the front lines of

the action before the action even began, trying to convince people

that they shouldn’t buy a house just because someone was willing

to give them a loan.

20

While everyone expected the collapse to be bad, it was hard to

predict that it would be as bad as it was. By this time, I was on the

Housing Action Board of Directors, and we were doing a tour of

central Illinois in the latter half of 2008. I remember sitting around

a television in the lobby of a hotel and talking with several people

about the market collapse as it was happening. There were no

good answers; the politicians struggled to even understand what

was happening. In the years that followed, every politician claimed

to have seen it coming, but in reality, I recall Senator Hillary Clinton

being about the only one that actually spoke about it publicly in

advance of the collapse. It felt almost surreal to watch events play

out on the evening news.

Housing counselors were quickly overrun with families trying

to save their homes from foreclosure. Housing Action provided

training courses to help the counseling agencies get up to speed

quickly and successfully advocated for funding to help us meet the

growing need. Attending regular meetings with other counseling

agencies helped us to share and learn best practices and, on a

more practical note, share contacts at lenders that we found to be

particularly helpful. Housing Action provided the lifeline that we all

needed to make it through the first few years following the collapse

of the housing market.

RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS ALL SECTORS

My time on the Housing Action Board has been extremely

rewarding. The friendships that I have developed have given me

an understanding of housing issues that I could not have gotten

elsewhere. I have so many memories of conversations with Al

Timke and Mike Wasserberg from my early days on the Board as

they bestowed their wisdom on me, often without even knowing

it and usually with humor included as a bonus. As a group, the

Board has watched and helped guide Housing Action through a

constantly changing environment in the affordable housing sector.

I’m proud to have played a small role in that.

Most importantly, though, as hinted throughout, are the

relationships across all sectors of the affordable housing world that

I have been able to develop and keep. I love attending the Housing

Matters conference each year, not just because there is great

content in the workshops, which there is, and not just because the

plenary speakers are fantastic, which they usually are, but because

I can stand in the hallway and talk to people from all over the state

of Illinois. We can compare notes, tell “war stories,” laugh, get

angry, and occasionally cry together as we work to provide the

needed housing that is lacking in so many communities around the

state. I will continue to love and support Housing Action as long as

I’m breathing because of the people that make up the organization.

Thank you for being a part of Housing Action Illinois, and if we

haven’t met yet, I’ll be in the hallway at the conference in October

(2022), so stop and say, “Hi!” •

Brad Roos, former Executive Director of

ZION Development Corporation

“Counselors were on the front lines

of the action before the action even

began, trying to convince people

that they shouldn’t buy a house just

because someone was willing to give

them a loan.”


21


lighting candles

LAURA OLVERA

Community Partners for Affordable Housing

Housing Action Illinois Board Member from 2020–present

At 23 years old, when I was hired at Affordable Housing

Corporation of Lake County—which has since merged with

Community Partners for Affordable Housing—I had just lost my job

in mortgage loan servicing. Initially, I was brought on to process

down-payment assistance applications for first-time homebuyers.

However, it soon became clear that there was a need for a second

housing counselor at the organization.

I had never heard of agencies that offered counseling to the

community for free. That was innovative to me. Though I was

unfamiliar with housing counseling, my supervisor had seen my

interactions with clients and peers and believed I would make an

excellent housing counselor. As I began learning to teach classes

on all aspects of homeownership, I fell in love with the profession.

With each group class, I saw the difference I was making in the

attendees’ lives. At the same time—having yet to own a house,

or go through the process of buying one—I was also learning the

tools that I was teaching, such as budgeting and building credit.

Learning alongside my students made the process that much more

rewarding, creating an environment that was, more often than not,

mutually enriching.

Soon, I was being stopped and thanked by people at the grocery

store, who told me how much they had learned from my classes.

This was especially meaningful to me, a second-generation

Hispanic woman. I saw people who looked like me thriving

alongside myself and other minority groups. My parents are

immigrants, having come to the U.S. from Mexico. They worked

hard, constantly doing the best that they could to provide for their

family. While they knew not to accumulate a lot of debt and to pay

Laura Olvera (fifth from left) joins newly HUD-certified housing

counselors at the 2019 Housing Matters Conference

their bills on time, they didn’t know how to maintain good credit, or

about the complicated process of acquiring a loan and navigating

a home purchase.

Buying a home is a landmark moment that comes with a lot of

responsibility. Housing counselors understand the seriousness of

such a milestone, and make it their goal to educate prospective

homebuyers on maintaining credit, general home maintenance,

budgeting and mortgage loan processes. While these core

principles and practices remain steadfast, the housing market

is ever-changing. Housing counselors join professional trainings

to stay up-to-date on loan products, best practices, and other

important knowledge to help their clients. I fondly recall attending

Housing Action Illinois’ professional development trainings, which

I found relevant and enriching.

As I became familiar with Housing Action through their trainings,

my colleague Mary Ellen Tamasy, a longstanding board member

of Housing Action Illinois, retired and recommended me to take her

place. In 2020, I began serving on Housing Action Illinois’ board,

forming connections to other people and organizations that have

helped me continue my learning journey. I can compare myself to

a sponge, soaking up as much knowledge as I can to pass it on to

others. The more I learn, the more I can help teach others, lighting

everyone’s candles as I go. •

22

Building a

community

of possible.

At U.S. Bank, we strive to make a positive impact in our community. That’s why we

support community events that bring us together for the greater good. We know that

anything is possible when we work together. usbank.com/communitypossible

U.S. Bank is proud to support the 35th Anniversary Housing Matters

Conference.

Member FDIC. ©2019 U.S. Bank 219404c 7/19


23


we’ve come a long way

SHELLY RICHARDSON

Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois | Housing Action Illinois Board Member from 2019–present

Shelly Richardson (sixth from right) with 2018 Board of Directors

“I have learned that just because we lose

a battle, it does not mean that we have

lost the war.”

My relationship with Housing Action Illinois dates back to 2007,

when I was first employed at IMPACT Center for Independent

Living (CIL) in Alton. One of my first assignments at my new

job was to research the Illinois Housing Development Authority

(IHDA)’s programs and to compile a list of low-income housing

units in our area. I was a single, disabled mother who was utilizing

what was then known as a Section 8 voucher, so I was keenly

aware of the importance of low-income housing. My passion

was fueled when my boss introduced me to Housing Action and

suggested that I join their advocacy committee. Soon after that,

I attended my first Housing Action Illinois conference. I was

mesmerized and so excited to be in a place where everyone was

as passionate about housing as I was.

Not long after my conference experience, Gianna Baker, former

Outreach Manager at Housing Action, traveled down to IMPACT

CIL to meet with me to talk about the housing issues that we faced

in our area. In those early years, I learned so much about housing

advocacy from both Gianna and Bob Palmer, Housing Action’s

Policy Director. I have had the privilege of being involved with

many of Housing Action’s advocacy efforts, but the biggest one

that sticks out in my mind, especially because of the recent victory,

was the fight to add source of income (SOI) protections for renters

across the entire state of Illinois. I remember sitting in the office

of one of my local legislators with Gianna and asking him to sign

on to this legislation. He looked at us like we each had two heads

and told us that he would not do it because it would mean political

suicide. We have come a long way since then.

Working with Housing Action Illinois has taught me that

perseverance is the key to advocacy. Thank goodness that

Housing Action persevered over these long years for SOI

legislation, as well as many other pieces of legislation that have

ended up as wins for housing issues across this state. I have

learned that just because we lose a battle, it does not mean that

we have lost the war.

I came to my current position as Executive Director of the

Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois (SILC) in March

of 2017. One of the first things I did was sign SILC up as a

member organization of Housing Action Illinois. I had learned

over the years that there is strength in numbers. Soon after that,

I was asked to sit on Housing Action’s Board. I also referred

the new Executive Director of the Illinois Network of Centers

for Independent Living (INCIL) as a potential Board member

24

“I was mesmerized and so excited to be in a place where everyone

was as passionate about housing as I was.”

and organizational partner. We have since worked together as

partners with Housing Action and its many member organizations

to educate and advocate about housing issues both on the state

and federal level.

Executive Director Sharon Legenza and all of her staff over the

years have been a joy to work with. I have seen such growth

from Housing Action Illinois over the years, both in services

that they offer their members and in donors who have seen

the tremendous value of the outcomes that they have helped

achieve. It has truly been an honor to be a partner and member

of such a thriving and successful organization. I look forward to

this continued collaboration and the housing victories that are yet

to come. •

Shelly Richardson (right) addresses audience at Housing Action’s 2019 annual benefit

WE’RE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE

35 TH ANNIVERSARY

HOUSING MATTERS

CONFERENCE

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Banking products provided by Wintrust Financial Corp. banks.


25


a fair chance at

rebuilding

WILLETTE BENFORD

Just Housing Leader

Willette Benford speaks at the celebration for the passage

of the Just Housing Amendment

Housing Action co-led the Just Housing Initiative (JHI), a campaign to pass a groundbreaking measure

to protect applicants with arrest and conviction records from housing discrimination in Cook County. Our

coalition prioritized the voices and leadership of people with lived experience during the campaign. The

stories and testimony of Just Housing Leaders such as Willette Benford and Abby and Sophia O’Quin proved

to be a powerful, critical component of JHI, openly affecting key Cook County Commissioners.

I am motivated to be an advocate because of injustice and

oppression couched in law and promoted as righteousness. Many

laws are unjust laws and they adversely affect those of us that

have been formerly incarcerated with permanent punishments. I

became involved with the Just Housing Initiative after thinking of

the impact of homelessness on individuals being denied one of

life’s basic necessities such as housing and how that would affect

multitudes. As a returning resident seeking housing, I knew that

there was a chance that the laws in place could adversely affect

me and I could be without housing.

The passing of the Just Housing Amendment meant that now we

at least had some ammunition to fight back with when someone

looked at our past and disqualified us for housing, not because

we wouldn’t be exceptional tenants but because some people still

believed in perpetual punishment, even when they claim to believe

that the carceral system works. Thankfully, the majority of the Cook

County Commissioners also believed that we were going to need

extra support, and chose to pass the housing legislation 15-2.

But this work isn’t done. There have to be concentrated efforts

towards implementation of the Just Housing Amendment

and permanent housing solutions for those returning to our

communities. When you make something into law, implementation

is the next step. People need housing when they come home. With

so many people and organizations committed to housing justice

and housing solutions, there are many creative ways to provide

housing to those that are directly impacted.

Willette Benford (left) celebrates the passage of the Just Housing

Amendment with Commissioner Brandon Johnson and Maria Moon

of CAFHA

As someone formerly incarcerated who was denied housing from

an ally and had to actually use an ordinance that I was involved in

passing to advocate for myself, just let me say that not everyone

who speaks about housing is interested in housing those of us

with records. The passing of the ordinance let me know that

there were people who really believe that housing is a human

right. Having entities like the Chicago Housing Authority, which

had a pilot program open to people with records, was literally

life saving for me. Without that pilot program, things would have

been extremely difficult for me. When we implement ways to

assist those that are returning through rent and housing with

supplemental rental programs, permanent supportive housing,

and rent incentives, we are creating safe, healthy environments

and communities for everyone.

I wish more people understood that those of us returning after

incarceration want the same things they want. Many of us are

hard-working, and with an opportunity to do so, we can be

productive. We need to be given a fair chance, make a livable

wage, take care of our families, and have a safe, secure place

to call home. With these opportunities and resources made

available, we would not struggle to survive, but thrive, and when

those in the community thrive, we all win. We are not looking for a

handout but could benefit greatly from a fair chance at rebuilding

our lives. •

26


it is up to us

SOPHIA NICHOLE O’QUIN

Sophia and Abby O’Quin (front center) join Just Housing Leaders to celebrate the legislation passing

“The future, and the opportunities people

will have, are based on what our society

chooses to do now. It is up to us—you and

me—to mold our own possibilities.”

When things get rough during the day, all you want to do is return

to the shelter of your own home. But what if you don’t have a

home—all because of a petty crime you committed so long

ago? This is the unfortunate situation, and the sad truth, that too

many people are living with today. That is why the Just Housing

Amendment is such a significant change; it is helping people who

were formerly incarcerated, instead of working against them like

the current system does.

We all need to learn how to give people who are affected by our

current, unjust judicial system a fair shot by not holding their past

mistakes over their heads. That is never going to do anything. In

fact, maybe they would not keep doing the things they once did

if they received the proper help they needed. The future, and the

opportunities people will have, are based on what our society chooses

to do now. It is up to us—you and me—to mold our own possibilities.

Shelter is one of the vital things everyone needs in life. We can’t

go through the day, struggling and laboring, and yet have no place

to come home to that we can call ours. There is already so much

discrimination and injustice in the world, so why should there be

extra rules on who gets a house, and who does not?

It is possible that the laws that are keeping people with a criminal

record away from housing and other opportunities may actually

lead them to committing another crime, just to get enough money

to get by. This cycle can be endless and hard to break. The Just

Housing Amendment saves so

many people from going down

this rabbit hole, and can help

many more people get out of

the ditch.

This amendment has a

bright future, and the

number of lives it could

turn around, and maybe

even save, is countless. Thank you

to all the people who have worked on

this, because this is the type of

issue more people need to be

focusing on. These are the things

we all need to make a brighter

future. •


27

what does the future of

affordable housing look like?

...and how do

we get there?

While lifting up the past and present for our 35th

anniversary, Housing Action Illinois thought it also essential

to look toward our collective future. We decided to ask young

housing advocates how they think about access to good,

affordable homes and give them a platform to share their

messages in Momentum: 35 Years of Housing Action.

In the Spring of 2022, students in the Collaborative

Resistance Printshop at the University of Illinois-Chicago

reflected on questions we posed about the future of housing

justice. Led by artist and activist William Estrada, the

class practiced creating graphic images within a social

and political context to amplify the stories and concerns

of historically marginalized groups. Their work spotlights

the struggles that marginalized communities face when

it comes to housing access and calls for a tomorrow in

which good homes are available to all.

ARTA AMITI

We’re thankful to the students who participated in this

venture, and we’re excited to see the next generation

of housing activists join our movement for housing justice

in Illinois. •

28

AFNAN ELLYTHY

ASHLEY HOLIDAY PEREZ

GUILLERMO ZACARIAS


29

MAGGIE REYNOLDS

BROCK WRIGLEY

ALEJANDRO VALDEZ

30


the chance to tell a story

KAITLYN GREENHOLT

Housing Action Illinois AmeriCorps VISTA from 2021–2022

Kaitlyn, Communications & Membership VISTA,

working on the 35th anniversary publication

Housing Action’s 2016–2017 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort

Sonia, VISTA in Housing Action Illinois’ AmeriCorps

network, during her term of service with Hesed House

The transition from college to the workforce can be daunting

at the best of times, petrifying at the worst. For me, graduating

in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic was unexpected and

challenging. As I prepared to don my cap and gown and virtually

graduate in my living room, I wondered what the job market would

be like in a new world that was increasingly reliant on virtual

communication. Furthermore, I wondered where I fit into it as

a Political Science major with a passion for housing justice.

In the weeks leading up to my graduation, I browsed various

job websites, wondering if I should cast my net narrow or

wide. By chance or divine intervention, a position opening at

Housing Action Illinois for a Communications and Membership

VISTA caught my eye. Though I had little to no experience in

communications or development, I was familiar with AmeriCorps,

having met several AmeriCorps alums throughout my education—

and with Housing Action, having met Housing Action’s Manager

of Communications and Development, Kristin Ginger, through

a colleague at a previous internship.

When I applied, when I did the interview, when I got the job,

AmeriCorps and Housing Action seemed like a good fit. A way

to merge my passion for housing justice and creative storytelling,

and a way to transition from college to the nonprofit sector. Now,

at the end of my service year, having spent a year using new and

old skills to raise awareness and tell the stories of individuals and

organizations alike, I can say that I was wrong: The position was

not just a good fit, it was much more than that.

My service year was an essential part of my development

creatively, professionally, and personally. It strengthened my

passion for civil service and raising awareness about critical

issues, and it allowed me the opportunity to connect with other

like-minded individuals who care about housing justice in

Illinois. I became part of a broader network of 55 full-year and

summer-term AmeriCorps VISTAs serving throughout the state

at Housing Action’s member organizations. I joined ranks of

the 370 Housing Action VISTAs serving over the course of 13

years, and collectively, we have raised more than $5.6 million in

grants, cash, and in-kind donations for our host sites; managed

more than 22,000 volunteers; connected 38,000 households with

housing services; and worked on countless other, less quantifiable

projects, such as the publication you’re reading right now.

My service year gave me the opportunity to conceptualize and

develop Momentum: 35 Years of Housing Action. I did so with the

intent to not only highlight Housing Action Illinois’ work over the

past 35 years, but to share the voices of those directly impacted by

Housing Action’s work and raise awareness that there is still much

more work to be done. And for that, I am eternally grateful. •


31


affordable

for whom?

AURIE A. PENNICK, ESQ.

Formerly with the Field Foundation


Aurie Pennick at her home in Grayslake, IL

“...the central question in the mission

to achieve the goal of systemic and

structural ‘affordable housing’

remains affordable for whom?”

As Housing Action Illinois celebrates a tremendous 35 years of

action, I am pleased to share my reasons to be joyous on this

important occasion.

and structural “affordable housing” remains affordable for whom?

During my time on the Board, I was tremendously pleased to work

with Sharon and the board to uplift the goals of fairness and equity

in housing to answer that question.

As a native Chicagoan, I remain committed to equitable,

accessible, affordable housing for all. The State of Illinois is truly

fortunate to have had 35 years of the tremendous work of Housing

Action Illinois. •

In 2016, as I just retired as the Executive Director of the Field

Foundation, I was truly honored to be asked to join the Board of

Housing Action Illinois. As the former President of the Leadership

Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, the fair housing

organization founded in 1966 when Dr. King came to Chicago,

it was my pleasure to have worked closely with Housing Action

Illinois’ Executive Director, Sharon Legenza, while she was in

her previous fair housing leadership role as an attorney with the

Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.

As most of us know, even without the negative economic impact

the COVID-19 pandemic has had on affordable housing, the need

for advocacy and action regarding the combined need for housing,

racial equity, and accessibility remains essential. For me, the

central question in the mission to achieve the goal of systemic

Aurie Pennick (center) at the 2016 Housing Matters Conference

32


as fine a group

as one could

wish for

WALLY KING

Formerly with Bethany Village


Wally King (far left) in front of Bethany Village during a Housing Action staff visit

A few years ago, I was sitting in my office at Bethany Village in

Anna, Illinois and received a phone call from someone named

Sharon Legenza. She identified herself as the Executive Director

of a nonprofit called Housing Action Illinois and said that she would

be traveling through southern Illinois soon. She wondered if we

could arrange a meeting at Bethany to talk over a few things. I

replied that I was sure that we could, and just to let me know when

she would be in the area. I had no idea the impact that simple call

would have over the next several years of my life.

Now, as Housing Action celebrates its 35th anniversary, I look back

and remember the hard work, long drives, long meetings, and late

nights. Housing Action’s staff and Board are about as fine a group

as one could wish for.

So, for a bit, I let nostalgia have free reign and remembered a

glass of wine and a bite with Sharon after a meeting, a beer with

Willie Heineke, or talking David Noble into sharing a fine cigar

to enjoy. Many meetings, many gatherings, and so much fun

with like-minded people working together on an important and

significant cause.

35 years of Housing Action, and don’t we all wish that the goals of

affordable and available housing for everyone had been reached?

Of course they have not and may never be. However, many worthy

Wally King (center) announcing raffle winners at the Housing Matters Conference

goals have been reached over those 35 years and many good and

lasting changes made. We just need to keep doing the work day to

day, and I am certain that the organization will do just that. I expect

even more wonderful results going forward and expect special

celebrations will happen again at the Golden Anniversary of

Housing Action Illinois and quite likely at the Diamond Jubilee. •

“Many meetings, many gatherings, and

so much fun with like-minded people

working together on an important and

significant cause”


33

thank you

Housing Action Illinois staff, 2022

A heartfelt thank you to the members, partners, and

supporters who have helped Housing Action Illinois

accomplish so much in these past 35 years. We

are grateful to the contributors whose stories and

art have brought Momentum: 35 Years of Housing

Action to life. A special thanks to William Estrada

and the students in the Collaborative Resistance

Printshop, and to graphic designer Michael Garzel.

This publication, and the work that Housing Action Illinois does on a daily basis, would not be

possible without the support of generous sponsors. Thank you to our 35th Anniversary sponsors:

PLATINUM

JPMorgan Chase

GOLD

Midland States Bank

SILVER

Associated Bank

Old National Bank

PNC

U.S. Bank

PARTNER

Cinnaire

Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago

Second Federal /

Self-Help Federal Credit Union

Wintrust

FRIEND

Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen

HomeLight

BRONZE

Ameren Illinois

34

© 2022 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Building Stronger Communities

JPMorgan Chase is committed to investing in communities so diverse individuals and families

of all income levels can thrive. We work with partners to provide innovative solutions

that foster community development, address affordable housing needs and drive inclusive

economic growth. These essential partnerships positively impact communities, their

residents and businesses.

We are proud to participate in these efforts and support Housing Action Illinois.

jpmorganchase.com/impact

about us

Housing Action Illinois is a statewide coalition that has been leading the movement to

protect and expand the availability of quality, affordable housing in Illinois for 35 years.

Our 160+ member organizations include housing counseling agencies, homeless service

providers, developers of affordable housing, and policymakers. We bring everyone

together to work toward our vision of an Illinois where everyone has a stable, good home.

LEARN MORE

HousingActionIL.org

Momentum: 35 Years of Housing Action

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