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Blog

The Effect of Universities on Housing Costs

6/29/2022

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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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Advocacy SpotLIGHT: INTRODUCING CONNECTIONS' Second Community Organizer, Max Seeley

6/22/2022

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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.


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JUNE MEETING RECAP: LIHTCs and the Margarita

6/9/2022

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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. 


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Community Highlight: Introducing connections' new data intern qurat ul-ain haider!

6/8/2022

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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.


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Community highlight: meet joining forces intern adrian brown!

4/30/2022

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​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.


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Success for joining forces advocacy team: Source of income discrimination and state budget funding

4/17/2022

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​As you know, the Joining Forces Advocacy Team went down to Springfield this past month to speak with Illinois Senators and Reps about the state budget as well as the source of income discrimination bill. We lobbied for the Members to vote yes on HB 2775, which would make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against renters based on source of income - these protections will help over 99 thousand Illinoisans with housing choice vouchers, and thousands more who rely on disability benefits, SSI, and veterans benefits as their primary income.
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Connections' zoning project: Letters of interest requested!

3/30/2022

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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. 

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Rental Licensing vs. registration: a review

3/8/2022

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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:
 
  • How to make sure we’re aware of landlords who aren’t complying with the rules so we can work with them to resolve the issues
 
  • What to do about landlords that we have tried to work with but still won’t comply with the rules

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Meet our new community organizer rodney orr!

11/29/2021

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​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.


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Fragmentation & Silo-Ing--an Inventory

10/22/2021

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Note: The following lists are not exhaustive but are meant to be a discussion tool.

City of Evanston Housing-Related Committees, Commissions, Etc.


  • Dept. of Community Development--Staff
  • City Council—Council members
  • Planning & Development Committee—Council members
  • Housing Sub-Committee of the Planning & Development Committee—Council members
  • Combined Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals--Volunteers
  • Housing & Community Development Committee--Volunteers
  • Reparations Committee--Volunteers
  • Social Services Committee--Volunteers
  • Equity & Empowerment Commission--Volunteers
  • 1st Ward Housing Committee(s)--Volunteers
  • Task Force on Gentrification & Displacement/Here to Stay (Human Services Committee)--??
  • Affordable Housing Plan Steering Committee--??

Who Is Doing What on Housing?

Local Entities Working on Housing
 
Government Bodies
  • City of Evanston
  • Cook County
 
Advocacy Groups & Non-Profits
  • Connections for the Homeless
  • Impact Behavioral Health
  • YWCA
  • McGaw YMCA
  • Open Communities
  • Family Promise
  • Interfaith Action of Evanston
  • CJE
  • Reba Place Development Corporation
  • Communities of Faith (UCE et al)
  • Leagues of Women Voters
  • Rotary Club—Lighthouse
  • CPAH
  • Land Trusts
  • Check Evanston Cares
 
Private Developers
  • Housing Opportunity Development Corporation
Evergreen Realtors
Grassroots Groups in Municipalities Other than Evanston
  • Arlington Heights
  • Glenview
  • Wilmette
  • Deerfield
  • Northbrook
  • Morton Grove
  • Skokie
  • Palatine
 
State-Level Entities Working on Housing
 
Government/Quasi-Government Bodies
  • Illinois Department of Human Services
  • Illinois Housing Development Authority
  • New Interagency Council on Homelessness
 
Advocacy Groups
  • Housing Action Illinois
  • Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
  • Illinois Partners for Human Services
  • Illinois Housing Council
  • Supportive Housing Providers Association
  • Corporation for Supportive Housing
  • Metropolitan Tenants Organizations
Housing-Related Actions Underway
​
Buildings  under Development or Consideration
  • Emerson—34 for very low income, 17 for moderate to middle income
  • Walchirk--TBD
  • Vogue—12 units through IHO
  • 100 Chicago Ave.—5 units through IHO
  • CJE—60 affordable units
  • Impact Behavioral Health Development—in Skokie
  • 1012-1034 Chicago Ave—11 units through IHO
  • Others to be listed
 
Local Legislation under Consideration
  • 3-Unrelated Rule
  • Owner Occupancy
  • IHO
  • Equity Review of Zoning Code
 
Housing-Related Programs under Development
  • Reparations Home-Ownership Program
  • Housing Allies
  • Tenant Workshops
  • Rental Assistance—County, State, Evanston
  • 5th Ward TIF
 
Homelessness Efforts Underway
  • Funding for Shelter—County, Other
  • Collaborative Plans to Create Emergency Shelter
  • Supportive Housing Campaign
  • Evanston Coalition to End Homelessness
State-Level Legislation Being Implemented

Omnibus Bill:
  • Property tax incentive program for AH investment
  • Stronger Affordable Housing Planning & Appeals Act
  • COVID-19 AH Grants program
COVID-19 Emergency Housing Act:
  • Revisions to rental assistance programs
  • Sealing of COVID-period eviction records
  • Temporary protections for homeowners
Other legislation:
  • Rental Housing Support Program Eligibility
  • Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program Improvements
  • Feminine Hygiene Products in Homeless Shelters
  • Community Colleges and Affordable Housing
  • Housing is Recovery Pilot Program
  • Delinquent Tax Repayment Loan Fund
  • Pets in Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund Properties
  • Higher Education Liaison for Students Experiencing Homelessness
  • Affordable Utilities for All Families
  • Addressing Discrimination in Home Loan Modifications
  • Abandoned and Neglected Properties/Tax Sale Penalty Bids
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
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  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • VISION
    • Advocacy
    • Impact
    • Membership >
      • Becoming a Member
      • Member List
    • Contact Us
  • Resources
    • Get Housing Help
    • Development Tracker
    • Local Planning Documents
    • Housing Publications & Advocacy Groups
    • Books, Movies, Songs & More
  • Blog
  • Take Action
    • Advocacy Alerts
    • Workshops
    • Working Committee
  • Calendar