Thanks to the powerful advocacy of affordable housing supporters, community leaders, and legislators, the Here to Stay Community Land Trust has been allocated $5 million in the Illinois state budget.

[Pictured: Here to Stay’s founding partners with State Representative Will Guzzardi, State Senators Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Omar Aquino, 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata, State Representative Lilian Jimenez, and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, pictured in front of a home donated to the land trust that will be rehabbed and sold in summer 2023.]

 Founded by four community organizations – Palenque LSNA, Center for Changing Lives, LUCHA, and Spanish Coalition for Housing –  Here to Stay is an anti-displacement effort and affordable homeownership model that buys properties through a land trust and sells the homes to moderate-income buyers from the community at a discounted rate, ensuring long-term affordability in Hermosa and West Logan Square. The $5 million will be used for the acquisition and rehabilitation of new properties, as well as operational expenses to grow the land trust’s capacity.

“These funds will help us build a model for the city, state, and nation,” said Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-39), who helped secure the allocation in Springfield. “With this infusion of capital, the Here to Stay Community Land Trust will show that community ownership can help fight displacement, support families, and create truly equitable and inclusive neighborhood growth.”

Here to Stay sold its first property in July of 2022 and acquired its second property in November of 2022, a workers cottage style home generously donated by a longtime resident. Workers cottages are historically significant to the City of Chicago and play an important role in naturally occurring affordable housing stock. However, these homes are often torn down during the build of newer, luxury single-family homes that further isolate moderate-income residents from their goals of homeownership and exacerbate the exponentially rising costs of living on the Northwest side. In partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing and Old National Bank, Here to Stay is utilizing the Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit program to fund a portion of the construction, which will ensure that the end purchase price is affordable to buyers at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. Renovations will be completed in summer 2023. In addition, in January 2023, Here to Stay closed on its third property, a four-bedroom, two-bath home in Hermosa, and is accepting applications from potential buyers now. 

Here to Stay and its partners and supporters celebrated this undeniably historic victory with a press conference on Monday, February 13, at the site of the second land trust property. Speakers included State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-39); State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-20); State Senator Omar Aquino (D-2); State Representative Lilian Jimenez (D-4); 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata; United States Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL3), Gary Jimenez, Palenque LSNA; and Emilio Carrasquillo, Here to Stay Board of Directors.

Homebuyer education and mortgage readiness are two of the first steps in becoming a homeowner in Here to Stay. Each of our partners offers pre- and post- purchase counseling and homebuyer education classes required for certain down payment assistance programs. Whatever your schedule, you can find a class here! Programs are offered through these HTS partners.

• Center for Changing Lives

• LUCHA

• Spanish Coalition for Housing