Housing Choice Partners of Illinois, Inc. (HCP) was founded in 1995 by metropolitan area fair housing organizations. Advocates were concerned about the concentrations of poverty and race that had developed in the suburban rent subsidy program (then called Section 8).
HCP was created to operate a new ground-breaking program to provide expanded housing choice to families in concentrated areas. The idea was to encourage access to opportunity areas for low-income families.
HCP worked for the next eight years, with the Housing Authority of Cook County, educating thousands of low-income families about housing options throughout the region. As a result, over 800 families relocated to opportunity areas in over 85 different communities.
HCP then expanded its work to include opportunity counseling for residents of Chicago affected by the Chicago Housing Authority’s, “Plan for Transformation”. Good Neighbor Workshops are provided for CHA residents as well including topics such as Home Maintenance, Financial Management, Schools Matter, Tenant Rights and Responsibilities, and Building Community.
Over the years, HCP added services to provide opportunity counseling for any low-income resident who requests assistance. Employer-Assisted Housing and home-ownership counseling were also added to HCP activities.
Finally, HCP works with many other Chicago organizations, as well as national groups, to promote diversity.
HCP has been creative, persistent and passionate in its work to assist families, communities, housing authorities, housing providers and others learn about the benefits of neighborhood inclusion.
HCP is a HUD-approved counseling agency and is certified in homeownership counseling by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, Washington D.C.