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Joining Forces has been researching how the anchor institutions in other communities (those that employ the most residents and contribute the most to their local economies) participate in addressing the shortage of affordable housing. In Evanston, those anchor institutions are Northwestern University and the two hospitals. Joining Forces has completed a study of Northwestern University's role in the shortage of affordable housing and in what peer universities are doing in their communities to solve the problem. We are working on a similar study around the hospitals.
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 Joining Forces would like to welcome our advocacy team’s second Community Organizer, Max Seeley. Max is a Stevenson fellow in Applied Community and Economic Development. He is starting an eleven-month internship here at Connections and Joining Forces for his political science master’s program at Illinois State University with an emphasis on public policy and state-legislative elections.
 Here's a quick recap of the June 6 meeting of Joining Forces members.
LIHTC Results Governor Pritzker recently announced $34 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) awards. Tax credits, used to finance affordable housing development, will be awarded to 25 developers across the state.  Joining Forces is excited to welcome our new Data Intern Qurat-ul-ain ("Qurat") Haider to the team! Qurat comes to us as part of an internship program at UIC, where she is a Fulbright Scholar studying to earn her master's degree in urban planning and policy. She earned her bachelor's degree in law at the University of Punjab, Pakistan.
 Our first Community Highlight celebrates our amazing intern Adrian Brown!
An Evanston native, Adrian graduated from Niles North High School. He received his associates of arts at Oakton College, and will be completing his bachelors in social work at NEIU this Spring! Supporting others has always been a passion for Adrian. While at Oakton, he took a course on social problems. In the course, they built cardboard boxes that they slept in on campus, which was an insightful and eye-opening moment for him. This was how he discovered his passion for social work for people experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness. Success for joining forces advocacy team: Source of income discrimination and state budget funding4/17/2022
Connections for the Homeless is pleased to provide this opportunity for funding for Evanston-focused community organizations.
We are inviting Black-led and Latino/Hispanic-led organizations, as well as organizations that focus on equity issues (racial, disability, and other), to apply for grants to help in reaching out to and gathering input from the community by making use of their networks. The following observations are based on the research provided to the Housing Sub-Committee of the Planning & Development Committee by City of Evanston staff, as well as on the discussions the committee has had on the topic of rental registration versus licensing. When we refer to “other municipalities” below, we are referring to those municipalities researched by City staff.
Two Main Issues to Be Addressed:
 I was born in Wilmington, Delaware, with a deep connection to my community. I experienced the importance that community can have in the development of youth early in life; my mother is a teacher who works with primarily Black and brown elementary children, and my father – a veteran turned chef – would often volunteer as a coach for youth sports, acting as a father-figure for many of the boys in the community. After graduating high school in Delaware, I attended Northwestern University and graduated with a degree in Social Policy in 2018 with a concentration in health policy.
I worked as a medical assistant for Howard Brown Health, working with LGBTQ+ people who deserved equitable and informed healthcare. As the 2020 election approached, I decided that I wanted to be a part of larger systemic change and made a difficult decision to leave my work in health to join the Elizabeth Warren campaign for president and was based out of Evanston. When the general election came around, I joined the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris campaign, where I worked as a digital organizer for their Florida team through to their inauguration. Note: The following lists are not exhaustive but are meant to be a discussion tool. City of Evanston Housing-Related Committees, Commissions, Etc.
Who Is Doing What on Housing?
Housing-Related Actions Underway
Planning Processes—City of Evanston
Comprehensive Plan—RFP is out Strategic Plan—RFP is out Affordable Housing Plan--?? TIF Planning--?? Reparations Planning--?? Here to Stay Committee--?? Shelter System Planning—in process Equitable Zoning Review |
