Executive Summary
Welcome to the 2026—and first—Guide for Chicago Housing Advocates. What follows is a tour of the affordable housing landscape in Chicago, with a focus on the public sector departments, institutions, programs, funding, laws, and processes that shape the places we live.
This Guide is part of Impact for Equity’s housing ecosystem work, the goal of which is to strengthen the ability of Chicagoans individually and in organizations to advocate for and implement ambitious, justice-centered housing policies that move us closer to a city where everyone has a high-quality, affordable home in the community of their choice.
We are grateful to everyone who reviewed the Guide ahead of publication. We are also grateful to the National Low Income Housing Coalition and its federal Advocates’ Guide, which provided the inspiration for this project. For national housing and policy best practices and resources, please check out NLIHC’s annually published Advocates’ Guide here.
Guide for Chicago Housing Advocate’s was made possible by the generous support of the Polk Bros. Foundation.
