Intergovernmental Coordination
Deteriorating conditions, market conversion, or other forces can threaten the ongoing affordability of subsidized properties. Properties are also often involved in a complex web of local, state, and federal programs.
Recognizing that preservation requires coordination across all of these layers, one of the Preservation Compact’s founding strategies was establishing the Interagency Council to prevent loss and enhance coordination to preserve affordable housing.
Over the years, the Compact’s intergovernmental work has included three interconnected branches to tackle emerging and long-term challenges in preserving at-risk affordable housing across Illinois:
The Interagency Council
Joint Compliance
Emerging Issues
Leaders from HUD, IHDA, the City of Chicago, CHA, and tenant advocates convene regularly to identify government-assisted rental properties facing ownership challenges, physical deterioration, or near-term affordability contract expirations and to develop concrete strategies to preserve them. The work focuses primarily on properties with Project-Based Section 8 contracts and those carrying multiple public subsidies.
This effort has since grown to encompass the Portfolio Health Initiative, a collaborative project with the Illinois Housing Council (IHC), to assess the financial and operational health of Illinois’ affordable housing portfolio.
In the news:
Affordable housing properties are often financed through multiple public agency programs each with its own reporting requirements, inspections, and compliance documentation. The goal of this group is to create a more coordinated compliance experience that protects residents without duplicating effort across agencies.
Economic shocks and policy changes can destabilize housing markets quickly. The Preservation Compact convenes agencies and advocates to respond as conditions evolve, including coordinating Emergency Rental Assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep tenants housed and prevent property loss.
Explore the Assisted Housing Map
To support these coordination efforts, the Compact has developed an interactive map showing the location and subsidy information for assisted properties across Illinois, as well as a consolidated timeline and summary of Illinois and Chicago preservation laws.
Related News
Request for Proposals (RFP) Announcement
Housing Property Management Workforce Assessment
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 23, 2026SUBMISSION DUE DATE: MARCH 31, 2026
As a part of the Portfolio Health Initiative, the Preservation Compact, in partnership with the Illinois Housing Council (IHC), seeks proposals from qualified consultants to assess property management staffing challenges in government-assisted affordable rental housing and identify actionable solutions to strengthen the workforce.
Proposals […]
Read morePortfolio Health Initiative Mid-Year Update
Background
Maintaining a healthy, stable stock of affordable housing is essential to preserving access and stability for renters across Chicago. But properties in our subsidized affordable housing system are under growing strain—from rising operating costs to staffing shortages and regulatory complexity. Understanding these pressures and developing thoughtful, coordinated responses is the focus of our Portfolio Health Initiative, a collaborative in partnership with the Read more
Rental Assistance Coordination Continues
Since the beginning of the year, The Preservation Compact has facilitated meetings with IHDA, the City of Chicago, and Cook County to coordinate emergency rental assistance programs. The Compact also convenes community groups, housing provider representatives, and other stakeholders to share information about emergency rental assistance.
This coordination work will get an extra boost from a National Low Income Housing Coalition […]
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