Addressing barriers to housing choice requires support from municipal leaders, community-based organizations, and residents. Such buy-in can be hard to get. No individual organization in our region has the alignment of mission and capacity to single handedly cultivate support for expanded housing options in general, and for affordable housing in particular. Certainly, CMAP alone does not. But the work of Impact DuPage, DuPage United, and Lake County United shows promise, and all three rely on a similar approach: creating local support for additional housing types through grassroots organizing often led by religious organizations, social service providers, and concerned residents.

Action 1

Form local grassroots organizations that galvanize support for the development of a broader range of housing types.

Implementers

Religious organizations, social service providers, and concerned residents

Action 2

Monitor the success of nascent community consensus efforts and share lessons learned as those in other parts of the region embark on their own efforts.

Implementers

Partners