This past Saturday, Staff Counsel Suni Kartha and Polikoff-Gautreaux fellow Simone Montgomery from our Housing program participated in the 6th Annual Community Health Fair organized by Onward Neighborhood House. #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #HousingJustice #AffordableHousing #ChicagoHousing

Chicago’s youth deserve a real seat at the police accountability table — and they are ready to lead the conversation! #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #ChicagoYouth #YouthPower #PoliceAccountability

Yesterday, Impact for Equity and the National Public Housing Museum hosted Gautreaux Unfinished: A Storytelling Convening. #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #NationalPublicHousingMuseum #Gautreaux #HousingJustice

“These are not small rights,” said Daniel Kay Hertz, director of our Housing Program at Impact for Equity. Read the Chicago Sun Times article: chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/20... #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #AffordableHousing #HousingEquity #HousingJustice #TenantRights

Chicago renters’ rights are at stake in dueling City Hall proposals

A potential, first-in-a-generation rewrite of Chicago's renters rights ordinance boils down to two different plans sure to impact the city's 600,000-plus renters.

chicago.suntimes.com

Last Friday, our team, Board, and summer interns came together for our Summer Party! The afternoon was filled with meaningful conversations, new connections, and opportunities for staff and Board members to engage around the exciting work ahead for IFE! #ImpactforEquity #CombatingInjustice

Last Thursday, the Impact for Equity team and our Summer Interns visited the National Public Housing Museum for an immersive tour of the historic Jane Addams Homes. #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #NationalPublicHousingMuseum #JaneAddamsHomes #HousingEquity

Access to deeply affordable housing is essential for Illinois families and communities. Housing Action Illinois is calling on organizations statewide to join a sign-on letter urging HUD to continue the Restore-Rebuild Program. Sign Today: housingactionil.salsalabs.org/restorerebui...

Access to deeply affordable housing is essential for Illinois families and communities. Housing Action Illinois is calling on organizations statewide to join a sign-on letter urging HUD to continue the Restore-Rebuild Program. Sign Today: housingactionil.salsalabs.org/restorerebui...

Today is the anniversary of the passage of the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance!🎉 #ImpactForEquity #ChicagoGAPA

Please read this recently published article by the Injustice Watch, where our very own Staff Counsel Amy Thompson was quoted. Learn more about how the Chicago Police Department has failed to address the rising number of traffic stops. #ImpactforEquity #CombatingInjustice #CPD #TrafficStops

Jonah Newman@jonahshai.bsky.social · 3w ago

For years, Chicago police have failed to report tens of thousands of traffic stops per month, in violation of state law. A year after CPD promised to “fix” the problem, it’s gotten worse. By @pascalsabino.bsky.social, for @boltsmag.org and @injusticewatch.org: www.injusticewatch.org/criminal-cou...

Today, we published “Another Missed AHPAA-tunity: No 2026 Housing Tax Credits in Illinois’ Least Affordable Communities,” a piece spotlighting the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s recent announcement of its annual allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. #ImpactForEquity

Another Missed AHPAA-tunity: No 2026 Housing Tax Credits in Illinois' Least Affordable Communities | Impact for Equity

By Suni Kartha, Staff Counsel On June 26th, the Illinois [...]

impactforequity.org

Last week, Staff Counsels Martin Cozzola and Suni Kartha attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Poupard Place, a 100% affordable 48-unit supportive housing development in Northbrook! #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #AffordableHousing #IllinoisHousing #HousingJustice

Did you know thousands of Cook County homeowners may be leaving property tax savings on the table each year? Explore our Property Tax Appeals Toolkit to learn more (translations in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Tagalog): impactforequity.org/what-we-do/h... #ImpactForEquity #PropertyTaxes

Yesterday, Martin Cozzola, Staff Counsel for our Housing team, shared his expertise and data insights to the Pro Renters Ordinance (PRO) Coalition for the PRO Subject Matter Hearing. #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #HousingJustice #AffordableHousing #ChicagoHousing

This month, we released a new report, a new blog, and added two new explainers to our Property Tax Toolkit, expanding access to critical information on policing, housing policy, and property taxes. Explore the resources, put them to use, and share them with your network! #ImpactorEquity

Join Impact for Equity for the launch of our property tax appeals toolkit, a resource that aims to demystify Cook County’s often complex and opaque property tax appeal system. Register today for July 16: secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/... #ImpactForEquity #Advocacy #PropertyTaxes #ChicagoHousing

At IFE, we’re committed to advancing housing and criminal legal system reform, but we also make space to connect, recharge, and build community as a team! Thank you to the White Sox for having us! Cheers to our interns and their work ahead! #ImpactforEquity #CombatingInjustice #Internship

Earlier this month, Housing Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellow Mallory Verez was quoted in the Injustice Watch’s article “Illinois tax sales get an overhaul but how much will homeowners benefit?”: www.injusticewatch.org/project/take... #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #PropertyTaxes #ChicagoHousing

Illinois tax sales get an overhaul, but how much will homeowners benefit?

State legislators passed historic reforms to Illinois’ controversial tax sales, which had led to thousands losing their homes and all of their home equity.

injusticewatch.org

New research from Impact for Equity explores how the 2021 Pretrial Fairness Act—specifically “citation in lieu of arrest”—is (and isn’t) being implemented in Chicago. Watch the full webinar on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=00U6... #ImpactForEquity #CombatingInjustice #ChicagoPoliceDepartment

When Reform Stalls: Insights On Arrest Diversion Implementation In Illinois

YouTube video by Impact for Equity

youtube.com

Property taxes are one of the largest annual costs for Illinois homeowners, but many are missing available relief. We recently added two new explainers to our Property Tax Toolkit regarding the types of Cook County Tax Exemptions and what Certificates of Errors are. #ImpactForEquity #PropertyTaxes

We published “Bureaucracy In Action,” a piece highlighting victories to the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act that we and other organizations were able to secure through an often-ignored advocacy opportunity: rulemaking. Read more: impactforequity.org/pressroom/ah... #ImpactForEquity

Bureaucracy In Action: How an Often-Neglected Process Helped Advocates Notch Significant Victories for Affordable Housing Statewide | Impact for Equity

Major victories to Illinois’ Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act (AHPAA) have been achieved despite overlooked rulemaking.

impactforequity.org

We are happy to share that our Criminal Legal System Director, Loren J., has joined the Chicago United for Equity’s 2026 Racial Equity Fellowship! We are grateful to have a member of the Impact for Equity team be part of such a fantastic opportunity! #ImpactForEquity #CUEChicago #CUEFellows

Our team attended a public administrative hearing on the discretionary decertification of a police officer by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. This was a wonderful opportunity for our interns to gain first-hand experience on some of the work we do! #ImpactForEquity

Last Friday, Gerald Polanco, Staff Counsel for our Criminal Legal System team, graduated from UChicago’s Harris School of Public Policy's Civic Leadership Academy, alongside a dynamic cohort of 28 leaders driving change across nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors! #ImpactForEquity

Snapshots from “Mobility and Metropolitan Equity: The Legacy of Hills v. Gautreaux at 50”! We will carry the insight and history shared about the Gautreaux case to continue combating housing injustice and broadening the accessibility of safe, affordable housing in our community. #ImpactForEquity

Did you know the Chicago Police Department compliance increased from 9% to 25% in just two years? However, our latest report finds that there is a significant gap between the City’s documented compliance with the Consent Decree and the lived experiences of Chicagoans most impacted by policing.

Join us for the webinar "When Reform Stalls: Insights on Arrest Diversion Implementation in Illinois." Attendees will learn about the new research that raises doubt on the implementation of the 2021 Pretrial Fairness Act. Register today: secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/... #ImpactForEquity

Last week, our Criminal Legal System team attended the 2026 Alternative Response Conference “Advancing the Field of Alternative Response Convening: Establishing Permanence.” We plan to take the lessons learned from and use them to support Chicago’s Community Safety Ecosystem. #ImpactForEquity

Today, we released Beyond the Checklist: Community-Defined Compliance Under Chicago’s Consent Decree, a new report examining the gap between procedural compliance and the lived experiences of Chicagoans most impacted by policing. Read the full report: lnkd.in/gF2kKrdG #ImpactforEquity #CPD

HB 5198 didn’t pass the Senate before, but our fight for stronger affordable housing protections is far from over. At the Veto Session, we hope to finish what we started and deliver real progress for our communities. Read the article: evanstonnow.com/clock-is-tic... #ImpactForEquity

Clock is ticking on housing bills - Evanston Now

Illinois lawmakers are set to adjourn on Sunday, making it more likely housing get punted to the fall.

evanstonnow.com