Spanish Coalition Continues to Narrow the Homeownership Gap in Chicago
Despite soaring rental prices, diminishing COVID-19 housing resources and other barriers that minorities continue to face when it comes to finding housing, Latino homeownership in the U.S. is on the rise and is expected to increase by 70 percent over the next two decades. Helping make this statistic a reality is Spanish Coalition for Housing (SCH), a local housing counseling agency that works to narrow the homeownership gap here in Chicago by helping renters with the transition to first-time homeowners.
SCH works with and prepares historically marginalized communities to access the resources needed to reach their housing goals – whether their goal is to own or rent. The housing counseling agency provides the community with free educational services, counseling and hands-on workshops, including the affordable housing workshops as a part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s (CHA) Community Alliance.
“For the past 50 years, our goal at Spanish Coalition for Housing is to remove barriers that historically underserved populations have faced. We help Chicagoans who are renting access affordable housing to become more financially independent with the hopes they can save and become first-time homeowners,” said Joseph Lopez, Executive Director of SCH. “In 2022, we were able to help 68 households to purchase and become first-time homeowners and over 1,100 households access affordable housing even as rental prices remain high on the other side of the pandemic. We’ve seen how the pandemic has prolonged housing inequity among our Latino and Black communities, and we want to help break that cycle and create opportunities for generational wealth through affordable and sustainable housing and homeownership.”
While Latino homeownership is expected to rise, Black homeownership rates are lower than previous generations. SCH is committed to supporting all Chicagoans to achieve their homeownership goals and their programs are available to anybody that needs them.
Furthermore, through its partnership with the CHA Community Alliance, SCH has been able to deepen its roots within Chicago’s communities, increase awareness of SCH and CHA resources and programs and most importantly be more financially independent.
To learn more about the free services offered by SCH or register for a free workshop, visit www.sc4housing.org/cha.
SCH staff invites anyone interested in their services or anyone who has questions about available home buying or rental resources to email (help@sc4housing.org) or call for dedicated assistance (North Region: 773-342-7575; Southeast Region: 773-933-7575; Southwest Region: 312-850-2660).
Spanish Coalition sigue reduciendo la brecha existente en la propiedad de vivienda de Chicago
A pesar de los altos costos de las rentas, la reducción de recursos de apoyo para la vivienda en respuesta al COVID-19 y otros obstáculos que siguen enfrentando las minorías al buscar vivienda, la propiedad de vivienda por parte de los latinos en Estados Unidos está aumentando y se espera que incremente un 70 por ciento en las próximas dos décadas. Ayudar a hacer realidad esta estadística es uno de los objetivos de Spanish Coalition for Housing (SCH), una agencia local de asesoría para la vivienda que se dedica a reducir la brecha existente en la propiedad de vivienda en Chicago, a través del apoyo a quienes están rentando en su transición hacia ser propietarios de vivienda por primera vez.
SCH trabaja con comunidades que históricamente han sido marginadas y las prepara para acceder a los recursos de apoyo necesarios para alcanzar sus metas de vivienda, ya sea de renta o de propiedad. Esta agencia de asesoría para la vivienda brinda a la comunidad servicios educativos, asesoría y talleres prácticos gratuitos, incluyendo talleres sobre vivienda asequible, como parte de la Alianza Comunitaria de la Autoridad de la Vivienda de Chicago (CHA, por sus siglas en inglés).
“Durante los últimos 50 años, nuestra meta en Spanish Coalition for Housing ha sido eliminar las barreras que han enfrentado las poblaciones históricamente marginadas. Ayudamos a los habitantes de Chicago que están rentando a que tengan acceso a viviendas asequibles para volverse más independientes económicamente, con la esperanza de poder ahorrar y convertirse en dueños de una vivienda por primera vez”, señaló Joseph López, Director Ejecutivo de SCH. “En 2022, pudimos ayudar a 68 familias a adquirir una vivienda y convertirse en propietarios por primera vez; y a más de 1,100 familias a que tuvieran acceso a una vivienda asequible, aun cuando las rentas siguen estando altas después de la pandemia. Hemos visto cómo la pandemia ha prolongado la inequidad en la vivienda en nuestras comunidades latinas y afroamericanas y queremos ayudar a romper ese ciclo y crear oportunidades para la riqueza generacional a través de viviendas y de la propiedad de viviendas asequibles y sustentables”.
Mientras que se espera que la propiedad de vivienda por parte de los latinos aumente, las tasas de propietarios de vivienda afroamericanos son más bajas que en generaciones anteriores. SCH tiene el compromiso de apoyar a todos los habitantes de Chicago a que logren sus metas de propiedad de vivienda; y sus programas están disponibles para cualquier persona que los necesite.
Además, a través de su colaboración con la Alianza Comunitaria de la CHA, SCH ha podido lograr un mayor arraigo en las comunidades de Chicago, aumentar el conocimiento sobre los recursos y programas de SCH y la CHA, y, sobre todo, ser más independientes económicamente.
Para obtener más información acerca de los servicios gratuitos que ofrece SCH o para inscribirse en un taller gratuito, favor de visitar www.sc4housing.org/cha.
El personal de SCH invita a todas las personas interesadas en sus servicios o que tengan cualquier duda acerca de los recursos de apoyo disponibles sobre la compra o renta de casas, a que envíen un correo electrónico (help@sch4housing.org) o llamen para recibir atención personalizada (región norte: 773-342-7575; región sureste: 773-933-7575; región suroeste: 312-850-2660).
Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) Provides In-Language, In-Culture Support
CHICAGO – LUCHA, a Chicago-based, HUD-approved housing counseling agency and community housing development organization, is taking active steps in supporting Chicago’s at-risk immigrant population by connecting immigrants and families with mixed-immigration status to Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Fair Housing Programs. The housing advocacy organization provides in-language, in-culture support through its various resources, such as its CHA Community Alliance Program workshops.
Illinois houses an estimated 787,000 undocumented immigrants and their US-born children, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform. For these mixed-immigration households, navigating the maze of government and regulatory red-tape can be complicated, especially when culture and language barriers are added to the mix. This leaves many immigrants and families with mixed-immigration status with limited access to affordable housing.
“We’ve seen a significant gap in the communities we serve accessing the multitude of resources offered by the CHA, as well as very limited information available regarding guidelines for families with mixed-immigration status to access such resources,” said Lissette Castañeda, Executive Director at LUCHA. “In response to that need, we’ve partnered with the CHA to host a series of workshops aimed to help guide Chicago families, especially those of mixed-immigration status, through the application and qualification process for accessing these various resources, including affordable housing.”
Through the program, LUCHA currently hosts workshops for the communities of Albany Park, Armour Square, Humboldt Park, Jefferson Park, Logan Square, and Rogers Park. The workshops are free and hosted virtually in both English and Spanish. Multiple dates are offered, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Currently, workshops being offered include:
- Affordable Housing
- Affordable Senior Housing
- Housing Waitlist & Admissions
LUCHA serves all of Chicago’s diverse and immigrant communities and encourages anyone who may be experiencing difficulties accessing housing resources, is facing the risk of being pushed out of their neighborhood due to gentrification or is experiencing conflict with their landlord to visit LUCHA.org to learn about all the available resources including hands-on counseling by a staff member.
For more information about LUCHA and/or to register for a Community Alliance Program workshop, please visit lucha.org/cha-community-alliance.