Momentum: 35 Years of Housing Action

35 Years of Housing Action
affordable
for whom?
AURIE A. PENNICK, ESQ.
Formerly with the Field Foundation
Housing Action Illinois Board Member from 2016–2018
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
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