I NEED HELP
ABOUT
Help for Today. Change for Tomorrow.
For over 50 years, Open Communities has been an important civil rights agency standing up for inclusive housing in Chicago’s northern suburbs. We help neighbors access and keep homes in our communities.
We provide education on local, state, and federal fair housing laws, as well as on common financial challenges in housing. In addition to assisting individuals with exercising fair housing rights, we also advocate to make our housing systems more just and welcoming for all.
OUR SERVICES
Open Communities stands up for the rights of our clients and the communities we serve. This can look like anything from one-on-one consultation with landlords to understand and change harmful practices to educating government officials on housing policies that will help to heal the legacy of segregation. We also conduct community workshops for both housing seekers and housing providers on rights and responsibilities under the law.
FAIR HOUSING
This HUD-Certified Housing Counseling team supports clients in working towards their housing goals. Contact us if you are worried that you might lose your home or be evicted, need help budgeting housing expenses, are concerned about aging in place, would like to purchase a home & don't know where to start, or have another housing issue you would like help with.
HOUSING COUNSELING
The Illinois Access to Justice program provides support and education to empower individuals and communities impacted by the criminal legal system. We seek to enhance the overall quality of life for individuals with justice-system involvement by educating people about their rights and helping them to access resources.
ILLINOIS ACCESS TO JUSTICE
We engage in policy advocacy to further fair housing at a systems level. Whether working to expand housing access for people with disabilities or ensuring that tenants are less vulnerable to discriminatory eviction, our advocacy is focused on creating communities we can all call home.
POLICY ADVOCACY
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
“Thanks again for helping straighten out my taxes... I am fortunate to have some new people in my life on my side. Thanks again [Open Communities] for helping take one of the straws off my back.”
“You were a blessing to my mortgage assistance program. You have no idea, how your kindness and commitment to my case were so instrumental in getting all the resources approved at the end.”
“The care, concern, and validation from Open Communities, and the lawyers they collaborated with on our behalf, made us feel like we mattered.”
“I want to thank you for all the great help you gave me on my application. You were kind and patient and very well-informed. You made my experience very easy. Thank you again.”
EVENTS
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LATEST NEWS
Highlights and Insights from Our Annual Walk the Redline Event
On Saturday, September 13th, 2025, Open Communities gathered with community partners and neighbors near the Evanston Ecology Center for our second annual Walk the Redline event. This event is held each year to raise awareness, funds, and activation for housing justice in Northern Cook County.
CPAH, Open Communities, and City of Evanston Partner to Transform Long-Vacant Property into Affordable Housing
A partnership between CPAH, Open Communities, and the City of Evanston creates a Community Land Trust and transforms a long-vacant property into perpetually affordable housing for the future.
PRESS RELEASE: Open Communities Reaches Resolution in Case Alleging AI Discrimination
Today, Open Communities announced resolution of its federal Fair Housing Act litigation filed September 25, 2023, alleging rental applicants receiving housing assistance payments, who are predominantly Black, were systematically rejected through the use of preprogrammed conversational artificial intelligence (AI), which issued statements communicating a blanket denial to renters participating in Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs.
Fair Housing Spotlight: Undercover Testers to Advocacy
In the intricate landscape of fair housing, testing is a tool in the fight against discrimination. Let’s try to demystify the world of testing through the exploration of its process, the advocacy and enforcement that it supports, and the challenges that come with it. Testing 101 Testing in fair housing is not just the investigation itself; it's a controlled process involving individuals posing as prospective home-seekers. The Department of Justice defines testing as, “the use of...
