Housing Collaborative welcomes new chairman, James Ford, mayor of Country Club Hills

From left: Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold; SSMMA Executive Director Kristi DeLaurentiis; Housing Chairman James Ford, mayor of Country Club Hills; and Thornton Township General Assistance Manager Troy O’Quin on behalf of the Just Housing Initiative.

SSMMA’s Chicago Southland Housing and Community Development Collaborative (“the Collaborative”) welcomed their new chairman, Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford, at the June 13 steering committee meeting held at our offices.

As the new chairman, Mayor Ford expressed a commitment for the Collaborative and its partners to work together to strengthen and stabilize south suburban communities.

The Collaborative also welcomed members of the Just Housing Initiative for a presentation on new Illinois and Cook County housing protections for individuals with arrest and certain conviction records.

The Collaborative works to address shared housing issues that span Chicago’s south suburbs. Its goals– through outreach, advocacy, program development and education—are to facilitate progress, create investment opportunities, and forge partnerships with stakeholders to strengthen communities. The next Collaborative meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. at SSMMA’s offices.