Keys to Home
is a series of educational webinars and a one-day conference about ways to fight for housing that everyone can afford.
30 percent of Illinoisans are cost burdened.
That means 30 percent of Illinoisans pay too much for their housing, which is a leading cause of homelessness.
We know the solution: housing that everyone can afford.
Help us fight for it!
Attend one of our Keys to Home webinars and learn how to support policies that work to solve our housing affordability crisis.
Thursday, October 29 at 6:30 PM
YIGBY
Featured Speakers:
Over the last 20 years, regular participation in religious service attendance has fallen from 42 percent to 30 percent in the U.S.. As more religious property sits vacant or underused, communities across the country are experiencing an increasing lack of affordable housing
The Yes, in God’s Backyard, YIGBY for short, movement aims to address these problems by allowing religious institutions to develop housing on underutilized land. States like Washington and Florida have already adopted policies. What could this look like here in Illinois?
Moderated by Rev. Dr. Michael C.R. Nabors with Second Baptist Church in Evanston, this free webinar will explore YIGBY policies—and whether they could impact the housing crisis. Register for our webinar to learn more.
Pastor Luke Harris-Ferree
Pastor Luke serves on the Evanston Land Use Commission, where he advocates for affordable housing solutions, including YIGBY.
Dr. Nadia Mian, Senior Program Director at Rutger University’s Ralph W. Voorhees Center for Civic Engagement
Dr. Mian studies how faith communities can use underutilized land for affordable housing. She leads a national database documenting affordable housing built on land owned by religious institutions.
Illinois State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
Rep. LaPointe represents Illinois’ 19th District and partnered with Abundant Housing Illinois to introduce HB 5083, a YIGBY bill, during this year’s legislative session.
Rev. Dr. Michael C.R. Nabors (Moderator)
Rev. Dr. Nabors is a senior pastor at one of the oldest African American congregations on the North Shore. He is a longtime social justice advocate and community leader.
January 2027
SENIORS
As Illinois’s population ages, demands for more affordable housing for seniors continues to increase. Seniors face disproportionately pay more than they can afford for their housing and will represent 25% of our state’s population by 2030. However, only a small fraction of our housing supply provides dedicated affordable housing for seniors. Register for our free webinar to learn how building more senior housing will not only benefit our elder community but neighbors of all ages as well.
April 2027
TENANTS
Half of all renters in Cook and Lake Counties are cost burdened, meaning they pay more than they can afford for their rent. Renters are twice as likely to face cost burden than homeowners in both counties. Register for our free webinar to learn what barriers renters face in accessing affordable and stable housing and what policy solutions our communities can pursue to create more affordable units.
July 2027
RACE
Black, Indigenous and Latiné households disproportionately pay more than they can afford for housing. What is the history of systemic racism and housing and homeownership, and how does that impact the current housing crisis? Register for our free webinar to learn more about the history of race in housing and what policies we can pursue to address racial housing disparities.
Interested in helping us put on these webinars? Learn more and sign up to be a partner here:
Join us for the Keys to Home conference in October 2027!
Keys to Home is the only housing conference in Illinois that caters toward residents instead of housing professionals and elected officials.