Annual Caravan

Each year, Housing Action Illinois' board and staff take a three-day road trip, or "caravan", through a different region of Illinois. The purpose of the caravan is to allow us to engage local leaders from the nonprofit sector, business and government about local housing needs in order to guide our future advocacy, public education and technical assistance work. Stops on the caravan generally include a community stakeholders' meeting to discuss local housing issues and a tour of a local affordable housing site.

2008 Caravan

From September 23-26, 2008, members of Housing Action Illinois’ board of directors and staff visited five different west central Illinois communities—Decatur, Springfield, Quincy, Macomb and Peoria—as part of our third annual Caravan. Each stop included a community stakeholders meeting to discuss local housing issues and the role of federal and state government in addressing them.

More than 50 individuals representing nonprofits, government, and business came together to discuss the state of housing in their communities. The paramount issues and concerns that stakeholders shared focused on the lack of quality affordable housing in their area, the lack of resources and funding available to develop housing, and the negative perceptions about affordable housing, generally held by the public, including that affordable housing attracts unwanted people from other communities.

Although the national foreclosures crisis was not a focal issue for many stakeholders in these areas, dramatic increases in energy and utility bills was a matter of pressing concern as the winter months approach. This suggests that the rising costs of living, throughout the state, may soon further aggravate the foreclosure crisis and the resulting housing problems faced by many foreclosed upon families. As one Decatur area stakeholder noted: “A lot of folks are 1 utility bill away from being homeless.”

Housing Action Illinois’ goal for the Caravan was to organize more local organizations to get involved in our state and federal advocacy work. “Our effectiveness in impacting state and federal public policy is directly related to our effectiveness in engaging participation from throughout the state,” states Mike Wasserberg, Housing Action Illinois Board Co-Chair.

Click here for summary of the main issues raised at each community stakeholders meeting along with what action steps Housing Action has recently taken, or will take, to address each issue.

A special thank you to all of our local hosts: Lore Baker, Melissa Huffstedtler, Claire Robinson, Todd Shackelford, Cynthia Struthers, Ruth Thompson and Jane Genzel; and Dove Inc. in Decatur, Springfield Housing Authority, the United Way of Quincy, the Quincy Area on Aging and Family Resource Center, the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs in Macomb, the Peoria Opportunities Counsel and the New Hope Apartments. Thank you also to all the individuals who attended our stakeholders meetings across west central Illinois and who shared their thoughts and experiences with us.

For more information please contact Mimi Chedid at 312-939-6074 x. 110 or send an email to mimi@housingactionil.org.

Past Caravans

2007: East Central Illinois—Bloomington, Danville, Kankakee, Pontiac and Urbana

2006: Southern Illinois—Effingham, Centralia, Vienna, Carbondale, Granite City and Belleville

Local Coalitions

We support the activities of our members and allies throughout the state, including volunteeer-led local coalitions in DuPage County, Kane County, and DeKalb County that advocate for affordable and fair housing in their area.

They organize advocacy efforts by

Identifying issues and needs
Raising public awareness on the issues
Collaborating with regional, statewide, and national advocacy efforts
Networking through the exchange of education and information

Types of activities

Affordable Housing Forums
Affordable Housing Presentations
Meeting with Legislators
Publicize Local Affordable Housing Efforts

For more information contact Bob Palmer at 312- 939-6074 x. 206 or bob@housingactionil.org.