Women Housing & Income Providers - WHIP

08/06/2026

New mortgage rules from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now require a full review for all condo loans, eliminating a faster process previously used for up to 40% of purchases.

08/05/2026

Many communities have a commercial real estate problem that looks different than a vacant building.

They keep building new ground-floor retail spaces, but there aren’t enough small businesses, artists, or entrepreneurs who can take on traditional market-rate leases.

Evan Snow saw that gap in South Florida. Through Zero Empty Spaces, he began turning vacant commercial properties into affordable artist studios and creative hubs, giving local artists a place to create while bringing activity back to empty storefronts.

The first project started with a vacant gallery in Fort Lauderdale. Local artists moved in, the space became a gathering place, and more than 1,000 people showed up for the opening.

Since then, Zero Empty Spaces has activated 34 properties across five states, with more than 900 artists coming through the program.

At the Civic Leader Summit, October 6–8 in Pensacola, Evan will share how communities can rethink vacant commercial spaces and create new opportunities for artists, entrepreneurs, and downtowns. Early Bird tickets are available now for leaders interested in bringing new ideas to underused spaces in their own communities.

To hear the full conversation, listen to “The Vacancy Problem Artists Can Help Solve” on the Bottom-Up Revolution podcast.

08/04/2026

The rate of homebuilding in Illinois in the past year was second to last among U.S. states, according to a new report.

Only Alaska built fewer homes per capita than Illinois. From June 2025 to May 2026, Illinois issued 157 permits for new housing units, less than half the national figure. Builders took out 412 permits for every 100,000 U.S. residents.

In Alaska, where sensitive environmental conditions and lack of roads limit home construction, 109 permits were issued for every 100,000 residents.

The low rate of new construction in Illinois has several impacts. One that’s immediate is ever-higher home prices as buyers pay a premium to get their piece of the super-low available inventory. Renters are also paying more because of short supply.

Longer-term impacts may include lost opportunities to bring in job engines, said David Young, director of capacity building at Housing Action Illinois. The roughly 8,000 jobs that electric vehicle maker Rivian brought to its plant in Normal was far beyond the capacity of the local housing market.

Read more here: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/real-estate/residential/ccb-illinois-homebuilding-ranking-20260804/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

07/31/2026

07/25/2026

Americans are having fewer children than ever. That leaves municipalities with a surprisingly tricky real estate question: What happens to schools that no longer have enough students to fill them?

Increasingly, they become housing.

More than 370 former schools have been converted into apartments since the 1980s, creating roughly 35,100 units. Another 9,000 are now in the pipeline, as declining enrollment, housing shortages and tax incentives give old classrooms new life.

TRD Data reporter Mary Diduch analyzed Yardi Matrix data and mapped where the biggest school-to-apartment projects are taking shape — and why they may offer developers a more practical path than aging offices.

Explore the interactive map at the link in comments.

07/25/2026

NBOA Summer Soiree - August 6, 2026
Tickets Increase $50 After TODAY
Join neighborhood housing professionals from across Chicagoland at the premier real estate networking event of the summer! Support neighborhood housing and network with industry leaders at an evening of celebration and professional connection.

https://nboachicago.com/soiree2026/

07/21/2026

Chicago, if you’re wondering why government has stalled so much under this administration look no further.

Internally discussions are already underway to work out a FAIR compromise. Still, the mayor’s surrogates continue to attack the City Council publicly to try and shame them into voting for an underbaked ordinance (PRO).

PRO will further exacerbate unaffordability and lead to a Big Ugly Bill in the form of a rent increase for renters across Chicago.

Legislation needs every stakeholder and group to be at the table and in discussions. Almost four years later, the fifth floor still has not learned this.

🗞️ https://tinyurl.com/mrwn6z58

[ES] Chicago, si te preguntas por qué la gestión pública se ha estancado tanto bajo esta administración, no busques más.

Ya están en marcha las conversaciones para alcanzar un acuerdo justo. Sin embargo, representantes de la oficina de la Alcaldía continúan atacando públicamente al Concejo Municipal, intentando presionar a sus miembros —mediante la vergüenza pública— para que voten a favor de una ordenanza mal concebida (PRO).

La propuesta PRO agravará aún más la crisis de asequibilidad y supondrá una enorme carga financiera para los inquilinos de todo Chicago en forma de aumentos en el alquiler.

Una labor legislativa eficaz requiere que todas las partes interesadas y los grupos pertinentes participen en el diálogo y las deliberaciones. Casi cuatro años después, la oficina de la Alcaldía aún no ha aprendido esta lección.

🗞️ https://tinyurl.com/mrwn6z58