Trusted Voices: Seeing Impact in Action

In May, Trust partners and supporters had a unique opportunity to witness the impact of expanded homeownership on Chicago neighborhoods.

We started the day with a tour of Inherent L3C, a Chicago-based company that constructs innovative, modular homes, and then visited two newly built homes on previously vacant parcels of land on the city’s West Side. The opportunity to see, touch, and walk through these spaces brought to life the impact they can make for families and neighborhoods.

The tour highlighted the work of Connecting Capital and Community (3C), a collaborative effort to expand pathways to homeownership for first-time homebuyers in Humboldt Park and East Garfield Park. 3C helps provide free homebuyer education and financial counseling to support families in becoming mortgage ready. At the same time, the initiative works to increase the supply of new homes by partnering with community-based developers to build on long‑vacant, city‑owned lots.

The result is new, quality homes that will provide the foundation for families to build long-term financial stability. The Trust applies this cross-sector approach to partnership to the many complex challenges facing Chicago—including housing, critical needs, workforce investment, small business support, and more.

These issues are increasingly interconnected. As Trust president and CEO Andrea Sáenz notes, “Housing stock that is affordable to working people is essential to our city. Having financial stability allows people the space to plan for their futures and invest in their communities.”

We look forward to providing more opportunities for members of our community to connect with the inspiring work happening in our neighborhoods and the leaders who are driving change. We encourage you to join us even if your giving interests are outside Chicago. The fees from your donor advised fund with the Trust contribute to our community-based work, and you are an integral part of our donor community.