Joining Forces for Affordable Housing works alongside residents, students, faith communities, local leaders, and partner organizations across Northern Cook County to advocate for housing solutions that strengthen our communities.Whether you're new to housing advocacy or ready to get involved, there's a place for you.
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What We're Working On
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Building Local Chapters
Change starts when people come together. We organize volunteer-led Joining Forces chapters to strengthen community voices and build local power.
Through these chapters, community members can learn, connect, and take action to help shape the future of housing in their communities. Growing chapters include:
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Educating the Community
Our FREE Housing Unlocked 101 workshops provide the tools, data, and resources to get you started in understanding the housing crisis and to take the next step toward action.
Interested in bringing a free, facilitated workshop to your community? Email [email protected] to schedule. |
Building Partnerships
We partner with countywide coalition groups to strengthen collaboration, share resources, and advance solutions that expand housing opportunities across Northern Cook County.
We strive to make housing more affordable, prevent displacement, and encourage stakeholders to share their voices in municipal decision making. |
Data That Tells the Story of Housing in Your Community
Understanding the problem is the first step toward creating change.
Our Affordable Housing Report Cards use local data to help residents better understand housing challenges in their communities, including who is struggling to afford housing and what solutions can make a difference.
Each report highlights local data showing who is struggling to afford housing in their community and presents key solutions that can help address these challenges. Our policy glossary explains six key housing policies to support housing affordability and how we assess their potential impact.
Explore report cards for Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, and Schaumburg.
Our Affordable Housing Report Cards use local data to help residents better understand housing challenges in their communities, including who is struggling to afford housing and what solutions can make a difference.
Each report highlights local data showing who is struggling to afford housing in their community and presents key solutions that can help address these challenges. Our policy glossary explains six key housing policies to support housing affordability and how we assess their potential impact.
Explore report cards for Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, and Schaumburg.
About Envision Evanston 2045
Envision Evanston 2045 is the City's long-term plan for how Evanston will grow and change over the next 20 years. It guides decisions about housing, transportation, parks, businesses, sustainability, and more.
The plan is important because it helps shape what kinds of homes can be built, where they can be built, and whether Evanston remains a community where people of all incomes can afford to live.
The plan is important because it helps shape what kinds of homes can be built, where they can be built, and whether Evanston remains a community where people of all incomes can afford to live.
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Where We Are Now Right now, the City Council is deliberating about Envision Evanston’s zoning code. We are currently advocating for inclusion of explicit language to increase housing affordability for all income levels in all parts of the city.
Why We’re HereThis is bigger than Envision Evanston 2045 — it’s a movement for equitable zoning reform and racial justice. Too many people are struggling to find and keep affordable housing in Evanston.
We believe everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to live. Together, we can change policies and make it easier to build and keep affordable housing in Evanston. Our Recommendations on Evanston's Zoning CodeCheck out our report to see how zoning impacts housing and how we can make our city more equitable.
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