Nine Developments Approved for 2015 LIHTC Allocations to Create 500 Rental Units Statewide

2016 QAP Focus Groups

@HomeIllinois is the Answer!

Lenders and Realtors - Help Us Celebrate Your @HomeIllinois Home Buyers

Winnebago County and Comprehensive Community Solutions Announce Blight Reduction and Job Training Programs

Supreme Court Upholds Disparate Impact Claims Under the Fair Housing Act

U.S. Rep. Robert Dold, Affordable Housing Advocates Discuss Opportunities for Lake County

A.D. Van Meter, Former Chairman of the IHDA Board, Passed Away at 93

CSH Showcases Integrated Housing Models and Profiles from Across the Country

Date Set for Annual IHDA vs. Developers Softball Game

Developers, Remember to Include IHDA When Planning Your Groundbreakings and Grand Openings

Loan Officer of the Month

IHDA Board Member Takes New Position in Springfield

Upcoming Dates

IHDA in the News

IHDA's Homeownership Department recognizes Steve Siwinski, Branch Manager at Guaranteed Rate in Buffalo Grove as its "Loan Officer of the Month." Steve has been an innovator in the mortgage business for 18 years and a member of the Scotsman's Guide of Top 200 Mortgage Originators for the past 12. He specializes in first-time home buyer loans and has made homeownership possible for thousands of households throughout Illinois with the help of IHDA's down payment assistance for first-time and repeat buyers. Thanks, Steve!

Vice Chair of the IHDA Board of Directors Karen Davis was named Springfield's new director of economic development on June 15.

Karen's experience with community reinvestment efforts will make her an ideal candidate for targeting Springfield's core for redevelopment. As principal and owner of Community Frame Works, she has in depth experience managing community-based initiatives in the St. Louis Area. Before that, she coordinated the development of affordable housing in Central Illinois with the Springfield Urban League Community Development Corporation.

2016 QAP Focus Group

July 15

2 p.m.

IHDA Board Room

401 N. Michigan Ave.

Suite 700

Chicago, IL 60611

2015 Single Family Housing Summit

July 16

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Illinois State Library

Gwendolyn Brooks Bldg.

300 S. Second St.

Springfield, IL 62701

9% LIHTC Application Deadline (Round II - 2015)

July 31

5 p.m.

Annual IHDA vs. Developers Softball Game

August 13

Location: TBD

For more immediate updates, please join us on IHDA's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter:

Nine Developments Approved for 2015 LIHTC Allocations to Create 500 Rental Units Statewide

Congratulations to the nine projects that were approved for Round I - 2015 allocations of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits on June 19.

Awarded to affordable housing developments in six counties across the state, the tax credits will drive much needed private sector investment in more than 500 units of affordable rental housing for working families, seniors and persons with disabilities. These investments will address local housing needs, and generate significant economic activity through job creation.

The first allocation round of 2015 prioritized developments that support a balance of rental options, those that include supportive housing units and those located in market areas that present new opportunities to low-income renters. Thirty developments applied for credit allocations under the first round of 2015, demonstrating the strong demand in IHDA's competitive LIHTC program. The full listing can be viewed on IHDA's Recently Approved Projects Page.

Please note the Round II - 2015 Tax Credit application deadline has been extended to July 31, 2015.

2016 QAP Focus Groups

Thanks to everyone who participated in the recent QAP Summits in Springfield and Chicago. As discussed, QAP Focus Groups have been taking place to discuss specific issues raised at the Summits. While registration is closed, you can still contribute your ideas by emailing them to the Illinois Housing Council.

Wednesday, July 15 at 2 p.m.

Architecture, Accessibility and Sustainability

IHDA Board Room

401 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 700

Chicago, IL 60611

Stay tuned for the Legal and Closing Issues Focus Group meeting date. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

@HomeIllinois is the Answer!

The Illinois Association of Realtors featured the @HomeIllinois program in the July issue of Illinois Realtor Magazine, touting the program as the latest resource to open the door to homeownership for every type of buyer.

More than 90 percent of those aged 18 to 39 expect to purchase homes eventually, according to Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey, but nearly half name saving for the down payment as their biggest obstacle. @HomeIllinois was designed to address this obstacle with $5,000 in down payment assistance, allowing lenders and Realtors to expand access to mortgage credit. Twenty new buyers are reserving financing through the program each day, confirming the strong preference for homeownership among young households.

Unlike past IHDA programs, @HomeIllinois is available not just to first-time home buyers, but also repeat buyers and homeowners looking to refinance. Qualifying borrowers can choose from a suite of options that can be customized to fit their financial situation, including $5,000 in down payment assistance and lender paid mortgage insurance. First-time buyers can also qualify for a mortgage credit certificate that significantly lowers the tax burden on their home.

See AtHomeIllinois.gov for program information and a list of participating lenders.

Lenders and Realtors - Help Us Celebrate Your @HomeIllinois Home Buyers

IHDA would like to share the success stories of new homeowners throughout the state. Send us a photo of your new homeowner, either at their new home or with their lender and/or Realtor, and we'll feature them on the IHDA Facebook page.

Please send your photos to [email protected] and we'll get them posted!

Winnebago County and Comprehensive Community Solutions Announce Blight Reduction and Job Training Programs

Winnebago County and the not-for-profit Comprehensive Community Solutions (CCS) announced on July 6 a partnership that leverages two programs to repurpose blighted properties while training local workers in an emerging industry.

The agencies will target ten abandoned, blighted homes in west Rockford thanks to a $350,000 award through IHDA's Blight Reduction Program. But instead of demolishing the vacant properties, the county is opting to deconstruct the homes as a part of a new job training program. Conducted by CCS, the program will train unemployed or underemployed people from the Rockford area to work on homes that are uninhabitable, but worth salvaging. The training is designed to teach the full range of knowledge and skills required to become certified deconstruction workers and graduates will be listed on an online database of available deconstruction workers.

Students currently enrolled in the training will likely be hired for the deconstruction of the properties targeted under the Blight Reduction Program award.

See IHDA's Blight Reduction Page for more details.

Supreme Court Upholds Disparate Impact Claims Under the Fair Housing Act

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 25 issued its ruling that disparate impact may be used to support claims of Fair Housing Act violations, preserving a longtime enforcement strategy used to support lawsuits over discriminatory actions even when there is no evidence of discriminatory intent.

In the case, the Inclusive Communities Project claimed the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs had discriminated based on race by disproportionately allocating tax credits to developments in poor, minority-dominated areas and denying those in predominantly Caucasian neighborhoods. Inclusive Communities claimed the policy had the effect of segregation, even if it was unintentional, while Texas argued that the Fair Housing Act only prohibits explicit discrimination. The Court held that claims of disparate impact discrimination are permitted under the Fair Housing Act, reinforcing a key legal tool for preventing segregation.

Read the full opinion here.

U.S. Rep Robert Dold, Affordable Housing Advocates Discuss Opportunities for Lake County

More than a dozen affordable housing developers, administrators and policy advocates met with U.S. Representative Robert Dold on July 1 to discuss local housing needs, negative perceptions and regulatory issues that challenge affordable rental housing in Lake County.

Even as the economy continues to improve, it has been a challenging time for housing development. The Metropolitan Planning Council stressed that the recovery has been uneven, as Lake County contains some of both the lowest and highest income communities in the state. Mercy Housing suggested strategies for combating the negative perceptions of affordable housing programs, including the renaming of the Low-Income Housing Credit. And several speakers, including representatives from the Illinois Housing Council, emphasized the need for regulatory flexibility and the importance of aligning program guidelines to make housing development more efficient.

See the Chicago Tribune for the full story.

A.D. Van Meter, Former Chairman of the IHDA Board, Passed Away at 93

On June 21, A.D. Van Meter, a former Springfield banker and long-time Chairman of the IHDA Board of Directors, passed away at 93. As a banker, he campaigned actively for the reform of Illinois' banking laws to permit branch banks and cash machines. He served as Chairman of the IHDA Board from 1977 to 2003, providing invaluable leadership and guidance through challenging years as the Authority refined the strategies that continue to make affordable housing economically viable for developers and builders throughout Illinois.

He was a committed advocate for improving access to affordable housing throughout his career and IHDA thanks him for his contribution to serving working families across the state.

CSH Showcases Integrated Housing Models and Profiles from Across the Country

As communities throughout Illinois create supportive housing for a range of populations and preferences, many are exploring new models that promote opportunities to live, work and receive services in the community.

CSH developed the Supportive Housing - Integrated Models Matrix to educate the development community on several proven approaches to developing and operating integrated supportive housing. To complement the Matrix, CSH also created new and expanded Project Profiles that showcase successful developments from across the country. Organized by model, the studies explain in greater detail the integration strategies, service delivery partnerships and key innovations that make the sites successful at serving a variety of housing needs.

Visit CSH for more information on the Integrated Model Matrix and Project Profiles.

Date Set for Annual IHDA vs. Developers Softball Game

After weather conditions forced the teams indoors last fall, the annual IHDA vs. Developers softball game is back this year and scheduled for Thursday, August 13. The time and location are to be determined, so stay tuned for more details.

Developers, Remember to Include IHDA When Planning Your Groundbreakings and Grand Openings

Every new development provides a valuable platform to reach out to the communities we serve and showcase the work we do. Not only are these events important milestones, but they help to establish new partnerships that lead to more support for new developments in the future.

Please contact Max Mueller in IHDA's Marketing & Communications Department when you start planning for your next event. He will help identify the best dates, times, speakers and media opportunities that make these events a success.

We look forward to hearing from you!