Chicago Hosts Housing Leaders Amidst National Crisis

CHICAGO, IL – February 23, 2026 – More than 1,000 housing and community development professionals have descended on Chicago this week for the 2026 NeighborWorks Training Institute, a national convening that brings both a significant economic boost to the city and a renewed focus on tackling the nation's persistent affordable housing crisis. The event, hosted by NeighborWorks® America from February 23-27, operates under the theme “Building Connections, Building Solutions,” highlighting a dual mission: to inject an estimated $5.2 million into the local economy while arming frontline practitioners with the tools to create stable, affordable communities nationwide.

A Welcome Economic Infusion

For Chicago, the arrival of the NeighborWorks Training Institute represents a notable economic event. A pre-event analysis projects the gathering will generate $5.2 million in total business sales, support 809 jobs, and contribute over $480,000 in state and local tax revenue. With an estimated 4,836 hotel room nights booked, the institute provides a welcome surge for the city's hospitality and service industries.

While these figures are modest compared to mega-events like the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which had an estimated impact of over $370 million, the institute's contribution is a significant example of the economic power of mid-sized professional conferences. It underscores the value of Chicago's reputation as a hub for major convenings that drive both commerce and intellectual capital.

Forging Solutions for a National Housing Crisis

The conference unfolds against a stark backdrop of housing insecurity, both locally and nationally. Chicago is grappling with a severe shortage estimated at over 119,000 affordable housing units, a reality where more than half of the city's renters are "cost-burdened," spending over 30% of their income on housing. This local challenge mirrors a national crisis. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the U.S. faces a shortage of more than 7 million affordable homes for its lowest-income renters, with nearly half of all renters nationwide considered cost-burdened.

In this environment, the training provided by NeighborWorks America is more than academic. It is a direct response to an urgent need. The institute's curriculum is designed to equip professionals with practical strategies to navigate a complex landscape marked by rising construction costs, high interest rates, and overwhelming demand. Courses cover everything from the intricacies of affordable housing finance and project evaluation to resident-led neighborhood transformation and ensuring fair housing compliance.

“NeighborWorks America is committed to helping our network and the broader field recruit, train and retain the next generation of leaders,” said Doug Sessions, senior vice president, Training Division, NeighborWorks America. “Through our in-person institutes, online learning and onsite certification courses, we provide practical education that equips professionals to deliver results in their communities.”

Empowering the Front Lines of Community Development

The core of the institute is its focus on empowering the individuals on the front lines of the housing crisis. Participants range from nonprofit leaders and housing counselors to grant writers and emerging practitioners, all seeking to sharpen their skills and earn professional certificates. In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, NeighborWorks America issued over 16,300 training certificates, a testament to the value placed on professional development within the sector.

During the opening plenary, Chief Financial Officer Kemba Esmond framed the week's purpose not as an expense, but as a strategic deployment of resources. “Training is not a cost; it is an investment in impact,” Esmond stated, emphasizing that the goal is to prepare professionals for the challenges ahead. “Progress does not happen by chance. It happens through planning, partnership, and persistence.”

This investment is critical as the policy landscape evolves. With recent bipartisan support in Congress leading to the passage of the "Housing for the 21st Century Act" and an expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), trained professionals are needed to translate these policy wins into tangible housing units. The expanded LIHTC alone is projected to help produce or preserve over a million homes in the next decade, and the professionals gathered in Chicago will be instrumental in deploying these resources effectively.

The Power of a National Network with Local Roots

The event also spotlights the unique and effective model of NeighborWorks America itself. As a congressionally chartered nonprofit, it stewards public investment and channels it through a network of nearly 250 local organizations across every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Native lands. This structure allows national resources to be guided by local expertise.

“We do that alongside a network of local organizations around the country," Esmond added. "Local expertise is how national solutions actually work.”

The results of this model are substantial. In Fiscal Year 2025, for every dollar of congressional funding received, the network attracted an additional $74 of investment from other sources, a powerful multiplier effect. This financial leverage translated into direct assistance for 431,600 individuals and families in the previous fiscal year. The network currently owns or manages nearly 212,000 affordable rental homes and, in 2024, constructed 5,700 new rental units and 750 for-sale homes.

As professionals in Chicago spend the week sharing strategies and building partnerships, they are not just attending a conference. They are actively strengthening a national infrastructure designed to create and preserve affordable housing, foster financial stability, and build more prosperous communities from the ground up. The connections made and solutions developed in Chicago will ripple outward, shaping the response to the housing crisis for years to come.