Planning and Development: Affordable Housing

The Freedom's Path development at the Hines VA Hospital in west suburban Cook County provides affordable housing for veterans, financed in part through HOME Investment Partnership funds the County received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Department of Planning and Development’s affordable housing team focuses on projects and programs supporting the development, accessibility and sustainability of affordable housing within Cook County. Through partnerships with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Cook County Land Bank Authority, Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC), local municipalities and social service organizations, the team plays a critical role in funding affordable housing for residents who facing homelessness, living with disabilities, are senior citizens, and more.

In addition to housing projects, the Cook County affordable housing team partners with organizations to develop and administer programs focusing on accessible and sustainable affordable housing.

Programs funded by HUD

The following programs are supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): 

• HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)

Relevant activities include fair housing planning/administration, development of public-private partnerships, housing development and housing services. Eligible applicants include nonprofit and private developers, current/prospective homebuyers, homeowners, and renters.

NOTE: Due to HUD guidelines, Cook County affordable housing funding for programs and projects are restricted to suburban Cook County. The City of Chicago has its own affordable housing program. 

More programs

• The Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program assists residents with home financing. The program targets low- to moderate-income borrowers, with a wide geographic spread of funds and types of properties financed. The program is in line with Cook County’s goal to foster wealth-building for participants.
• The Cook County Modular Homes Program leads construction of single-family homes in three communities with limited new home construction: Humboldt Park (Chicago), Chicago Heights and Maywood. Modular homes have notable advantages, including shorter construction times, the reduction of waste during construction and the re-use of existing infrastructure.

Questions?

For more information, please contact Susan Campbell, Director, Planning and Development at (312) 603-1000 or susan.campbell@cookcountyil.gov or Karl Bradley, Deputy Director, Planning and Development, at (312) 603-1009 or karl.bradley@cookcountyil.gov.

Visit the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development homepage