CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois Housing Development Authority is working to collaborate with community members on their 2027 Housing Blueprint.
Local residents can take a survey or attend a community listening session to have their voices heard.
The Blueprint is statewide and conducted every three to five years. It assesses current housing conditions and gathers residents’ experiences they may not have considered previously when determining the state’s housing priorities.
The plan aims to create a path for equitable and affordable housing across Illinois and helps to create an actionable plan to reach the state’s housing goals.
According to the IDHA, equitable work in many of the communities statewide starts by acknowledging and counteracting discriminatory practices within the housing market.
Illinois’ first housing blueprint began just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in March 2020.
The first edition was enacted in 2021 and the second edition followed in 2022. The state is now working towards drafting the third.
IDHA has continued to work with local partnered organizations, elected officials, advocacy groups and community members to understand the housing needs of Illinois residents.
Twelve cmmunity listening sessions will be held across the state, 11 in English and one virtual session in Spanish.
Champaign’s community listening session will be on June 25 at the Champaign Public Library. The community survey will close after July.