Open Communities

10/14/2026

While Hispanic Heritage Month is coming to an end, our celebration continues all year long.

Aunque el mes de la Herencia Hispana termina pronto, nuestra celebración continúa todo el año.

10/14/2026

The Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program (CBRAP) provides emergency rental assistance to tenants and landlords across Illinois who have pending case(s) in eviction court. Eligible applicants may qualify for up to $10,000 that can be applied to past-due rent, up to $700 for court costs, and up to two months' future rent to prevent housing displacement.

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El Programa de Asistencia de Alquiler Basado en la Corte de Illinois (CBRAP) ofrece asistencia de alquiler de emergencia a inquilinos y propietarios en todo Illinois que tengan casos pendientes en el tribunal de desalojo. Los solicitantes elegibles pueden calificar para hasta $10,000 que se pueden aplicar a la renta atrasada, hasta $700 para costos judiciales, y hasta dos meses de renta futura para evitar el desalojo.

10/12/2026

Our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month continues with Dominic Voz, Open Communities' Director of Fair Housing!

¡Nuestra celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana continúa con Dominic Voz, director de Vivienda Justa de Open Communities!

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"As a mixed-race Latino who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, I missed out on ways to access and explore my heritage.

As an adult, I committed more to this pursuit, learning Spanish in community college courses and intercambios. I traveled around Mexico several times. Ultimately, it felt deeply comforting to embrace Latino culture - the food, rituals, language - instead of leaving it at the margins of my identity.

Being Latino as well as having a distinctly mixed heritage both give me a sense of comfort and pride."

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"Como latino mestizo que creció en el noroeste del Pacífico, me perdí de muchas oportunidades para conectar con mis raíces y explorar mi herencia cultural.

De adulto, me comprometí más con esta búsqueda, aprendiendo español a través de cursos en un colegio comunitario e intercambios de idiomas. Viajé por México en varias ocasiones. Finalmente, me brindó una profunda sensación de tranquilidad y bienestar abrazar la cultura latina : su comida, sus tradiciones y su idioma - en lugar de dejarla en los márgenes de mi identidad.

Ser latino, así como tener una herencia cultural claramente diversa, me brinda una sensación de bienestar y orgullo."

10/10/2026

Can we be cheesy for a second? Cool, thanks… It’s fall, y’all. Our team loves this season and the coziness associated with it.

Delicious warm drinks in hand while in our comfy sweaters, the work for housing justice continues!🍂☕

Our monthly newsletter has lots of information!
Featuring: Housing Action Illinois, YWCA Evanston/North Shore, Evanston Public Library, Connections for the Homeless, Community Partners for Affordable Housing, National Low Income Housing Coalition

English: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/We-have-a-lot-to-share-this-month-.html?soid=1102546529495&aid=ewCPYlvWqUw

Spanish: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Tenemos-mucho-que-compartir-este-mes-.html?soid=1102546529495&aid=gM_ovKHV9Kg

10/08/2026

We’re all in on DAF Day! 💙💚

On October 8, people everywhere are increasing the impact of their Donor-Advised Funds by giving together, and we’re thrilled to be part of it.

If you have a DAF, this is your chance to join a nationwide wave of generosity and support Open Communities.

Every grant recommended through your DAF helps
🏠 Prevent families from losing their homes,
🏠 Assist homebuyers buy their first home
🏠 Support older adults aging safely in place
🏠 Challenge housing discrimination
🏠 Educate neighbors about housing rights

Let’s show what’s possible when we give together.

10/05/2026

Voting is one of the many tools in our tool belts to advance long-term housing solutions for our communities.

Open Communities & the National Low Income Housing Coalition invite you to take 5 minutes to do one of the following:

- Check your voter registration. Even if you are sure you are registered! Recent address changes or inactivity can cause you to be removed from the voter rolls.
- Register to vote.
- Pre-register if you are 15-17.
- Make a plan to vote early and in-person: TurboVote will give you information on upcoming voting locations and key deadlines.

Check & plan: https://ourhomes.turbovote.org/?r=OpenCommunities

10/02/2026

Free Reverse Mortgage Workshop at City of Rolling Meadows's City Hall next week!

Are you 62 or older? Curious about aging in place and reverse mortgages? Come learn from our Manager of Senior Services and HUD certified Housing Counselor!

Open Communities is not associated with any banking institutions so we provide unbiased education about the choices you have. Sarah Buckley will explain who is eligible, the financial obligations, benefits, risks, and considerations.

Email [email protected] or call Jes at 224-341-6081 if you have any access needs.

09/30/2026

Thank you Housing Action Illinois for hosting another powerful Housing Matters conference!

Our team speaks to hundreds of community members a month who are struggling to keep their homes, pay rent, navigate housing discrimination, age in place, support themselves and families... it's a long list.

Lots of the time, they've done "all the right things" but still can't make ends meet.

Open Communities will continue to help people the best we can with the resources at our disposal. Our Housing Counselors will continue to use the tools we have to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Our Fair Housing team works daily to confront housing discrimination in all forms.

Simultaneously, we will also continue to partner with partners like National Low Income Housing Coalition, Connections for the Homeless, local townships and municipalities, and so many Fair Housing organizations across the country to address the structural issues causing challenges for way too many people.

Let us not forget how many of us are working day in and day out to keep and create welcoming communities in our own ways, both directly with people and at the systemic level.

09/29/2026

⚠️ Time sensitive! ⚠️

The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) will be re-opening its site-based waitlist for seniors for one-bedroom and two-bedroom units for Carefree Village located at 15005 S. Cicero Avenue, Oak Forest, IL 60452.

To be eligible, applicants MUST be at least 55 years of age and meet income requirements.

Applications will only be available beginning on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 10:00am and will close on Friday, October 2, 2026 at 3:00pm.

Open Communities is not connected to the voucher program or any part of the application process; we are just sharing a resource for people who may be interested.

Located in Oak Forest, Carefree Village offers adults 55+ affordable, comfortable living in a welcoming independent living community. Residents enjoy convenient access to shopping, dining, parks, healthcare, and local attractions throughout the south suburbs in a peaceful, community-focused setting.

09/29/2026

This is what we call feeding 2 birds with 1 seed 🍞🏡

Come visit us at the Niles Township Food Pantry on October 1 or October 7! Grab some pantry items, get your housing questions answered & learn about resources.

Email [email protected] if you have any access needs.