ABOUT THE CHICAGO HOUSING INITIATIVE COALITION
The mission of the Chicago Housing Initiative (CHI) is to amplify the power of low-income Chicago residents to preserve, improve, and expand low-cost rental housing, stabilize communities facing displacement, and advance racial and economic equity and inclusion across all of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods.
CHI is a coalition of nine community organizations working directly with low-income renters in the city of Chicago who came together to forge a citywide organizing vehicle for low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities to increase our social, economic, and political power.
CHI member organizations help build vibrant, powerful, informed, engaged tenants' associations in affordable housing developments to ensure high-quality conditions, preserve affordable rents, ensure respectful treatment, build community, fight discrimination, and promote energy efficiency. We also advocate for the creation of new safe, accessible, integrated affordable housing across the city to expand choice for people of modest means, facilitate access to job hubs, and expand opportunity.
MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
Access Living is a cross–disability organization governed and staffed by a majority of people with disabilities. Access Living fosters the dignity, pride and self–esteem of people with disabilities and enhances the options available to them so they may choose and maintain individualized and satisfying lifestyles. To this end, Access Living offers peer–oriented independent living services; public education, awareness and development; individualized and systemic advocacy; and enforcement of civil rights on behalf of people with disabilities.
Founded in 2003, the Northwest Center identifies and responds to the needs of the community by leveraging resources to improve the economic well-being and quality of life in Belmont Cragin and the surrounding communities. Through housing counseling, financial literacy programs, and community activism, we’ve helped thousands of families on Chicago’s northwest side keep their homes, create financial opportunities, and grow as organizers and leaders.
Neighbors for Affordable Housing on the Northwest Side is a group of independent northwest side neighbors committed to making our communities more affordable, accessible, inclusive, vibrant, compassionate and equitable.
Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP) is a community organization that builds the power of residents on the Southside of Chicago to impact the forces and decisions that affect our lives. We fight for human rights to racial and economic justice through organizing, popular education, and leadership development amongst people most directly affected by issues like gentrification, displacement, incarceration and criminalization of youth of color and health cuts.
The Lugenia Burns Hope Center was founded in 1994 by the former President Barack Obama and Centers for New Horizon’s Dr. Sokoni Karanja. Our mission is to develop the civic engagement of residents in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, and other communities, through education, leadership development and community organizing.
Metropolitan Tenants Organization's mission is to educate, organize and empower tenants to have a voice in the decisions that affect the affordability and availability of safe, decent and accessible housing. Our primary goals are to better tenants’ living conditions and preserve housing, stabilize tenancies and prevent homelessness and improve communication between landlords and tenants.
Organization Neighborhoods for Equality: Northside (ONE Northside) is is a mixed-income, multi-ethnic, intergenerational organization that unites our diverse communities. We build collective power to eliminate injustice through bold and innovative community organizing. We accomplish this through developing grassroots leaders and acting together to effect change.
People for Community Recovery (PCR) is a non-profit environmental organization. For over 3 decades, PCR worked to advance the cause and voice of social and environmental justice. PCR's work strives to reflect the current challenges and needs our community and residents face.
Pilsen Alliance is a social justice organization committed to developing grassroots leadership in Pilsen and neighboring working class, immigrant communities in Chicago’s Lower West Side. We work for quality public education, affordable housing, government accountability and healthy communities.