That housing is key? The mission of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center is to promote and sustain residential integration. The Oak Park Regional Housing Center was established as a response to the Fair Housing Act and the need to create an open housing community in the late 1960’s, as expounded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his speech at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 1966.
The Housing Center has helped improve and increase the Village Of Oak Park’s community value by introducing more than 100,000 diverse individuals into our community! Housing is the very foundation needed and used to establish healthy lifestyles that include mental and financial stability that is crucial for vibrant neighborhoods as well as the household. Oak Park Regional Housing Center sees on average 5000 individuals per year to receive services, which include: Fair Housing Education; Rental Apartment Referrals; Property Management Training; Financial Education; and much more!
Since becoming the executive director in 2020, Athena Williams has worked with the Housing Center team to provide COVID-19 support to 1,450 renters; assisted 8000 registered applicants find apartments in the surrounding region; helped more than 400 families become homeowners; and assisted more than 100 individuals improve their credit score. With our staff that has more than 30 years combined housing experience, we seek to increase homeownership rates throughout the region, to create more housing inventory, and to create a more stabilized housing experience for renters and owners alike. At Oak Park Regional Housing Center, we look to 2024 to be a year of more, providing more support to renters and homeowners, bringing the community together more around racial healing transformations and to help people with more money management strategies.
If you would like more information, to donate, or volunteer, please visit:oprhc.org And remember, housing is key!