The Northwest Side Housing Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was opened in June, 2003 in response to the needs of the residents of the northwest side of Chicago. Foreclosures had doubled in the previous ten years. Homeowners were victims of predatory lending at alarming rates. There was absolutely no resource on the northwest side to assist residents in jeopardy of losing their homes. Homeowners who were concerned with the looming foreclosure crisis came together through the community organizing of the Northwest Neighborhood Federation and began discussing ways to help people stay in their homes. In addition, older residents in this once thriving and diverse community were being forced out of their homes due to their age, disability or lack of funds for rising housing costs. Many seniors had begun talking about coming together to develop solutions that would enable them to stay in the community and preserve their housing. They were also looking for an organization that would help them organize and advocate for enhanced senior opportunities and services ranging from affordable housing, transportation, improved tenants rights in multi-family housing and resources for home renovations to make their homes more accessible and livable. The Northwest Side Housing Center was formed around these issues to provide resources previously lacking in the community.

The Northwest Side Housing Centers mission is to build and strengthen our community by working with people for safe and affordable housing. We envision a diverse community where people are connected to each other and live in safe and affordable housing.

In the past four years, the Northwest Side Housing Center has grown into a multi-program and community organizing agency. Our work falls into two main categories: Financial Education and Senior Leadership. The Northwest Side Housing Center is a HUD-Certified Housing Counseling Agency, certified to provide homebuyer education, pre- and post-purchase counseling, mortgage delinquency intervention, loss mitigation and reverse mortgage counseling. Our Housing Counselors provide workshop sessions, small group and one-on-one housing counseling. We run a first-time Homebuyer Program in conjunction with Wright College and have worked with local alderman, agencies and financial institutions to provide local resources for homeowners and those interested in purchasing a home on the northwest side of Chicago. Perhaps the largest increase in demand for Financial Education through the Housing Center has been from the mortgage foreclosure crisis. With over 3,100 foreclosures started in 2009, the northwest side has been hard hit during this national crisis. At alarming rates, homeowners are in jeopardy of losing their homes. In this area, the Northwest Side Housing Center is the primary resource to help families and individuals fight back against this problem and preserve their housing. We provide face-to-face assistance to families facing foreclosure or in imminent risk of not being able to afford their mortgage. In most situations, we can negotiate with their lender and find a loan resolution that will be affordable and sustainable for the family in the long run creating a win-win situation for the homeowner, the community and the financial institution. Our success at foreclosure prevention comes from strong relationships in the community, persistence at negotiating with lenders and mortgage servicers and homeowners who are determined to advocate on their own behalf. In addition to Financial Education, the Housing Center also coordinate the Housing Within Reach Committee of local resident leaders, agency representatives, clergy and other concerned business owners and individuals. This group meets regularly to discuss and take action on a variety of housing concerns such as affordable housing, condo conversions, the use of the Low Income Housing Trust Fund to encourage affordable rentals and the Chicago Historic Bungalow Initiative. The second major facet of our work is Senior Leadership. Through this, the Housing Center provides coordination to two successful programs that were designed, won and implemented by local senior leaders, clergy and agency representatives. HomeSharing is a program which matches an older adult (or someone with a disability) with another person who is at least 18 years old. The home seeker may pay rent or provide some combination of rent and services in the home. In the first few years of this program, we have helped over 100 people stay in the community by preserving and creating affordable housing opportunities. The program is most successful at helping older adults stay in their homes. The Staying Rented program was created for older adults that have a two-flat and live only in one part of the building but have stopped renting the other part because of safety concerns, or the difficulty of finding a tenant. When rented, the income provides additional resources for the older adult and the peace of mind that they are not totally alone in the home. For the renter, the Staying Rented program provides an opportunity for affordable rental housing, something in short supply in this area. The program began in May, 2006 and currently has 13 successful Staying Rented agreements. The Northwest Side Housing Center also coordinates the Senior Leadership group comprised of older adults on the northwest side, clergy and staff from local agencies that provide services to senior. The leadership meets regularly to find ways to assist older adults Stay Put in their neighborhoods. Issues the groups has worked on include: HRAIL (accessibility renovations), transportation, prescription drug coverage, assisted living housing and affordable rental opportunities.