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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate Neighborhood Housing | ||||||
| 4 | Services of Chicago (NHS) on its 50th anniversary to be | ||||||
| 5 | celebrated at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry on | ||||||
| 6 | Saturday, March 15, 2025; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, For five decades, NHS has been a champion for | ||||||
| 8 | economic inclusion and a tireless advocate for closing the | ||||||
| 9 | racial wealth gap through the transformative power of | ||||||
| 10 | homeownership; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, Under the visionary leadership of current | ||||||
| 12 | President and CEO Anthony Simpkins, NHS continues to build on | ||||||
| 13 | its legacy of empowering communities, addressing systemic | ||||||
| 14 | inequities, and fostering long-term economic stability for | ||||||
| 15 | families across the Chicago metropolitan area; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, NHS firmly believes that decent, safe, and | ||||||
| 17 | affordable housing is a fundamental human right, an integral | ||||||
| 18 | part of the American dream, and should be accessible to all; | ||||||
| 19 | and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, NHS has harnessed the expertise and collaboration | ||||||
| 21 | of residents, community organizations, and corporate partners | ||||||
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| 1 | to revitalize neighborhoods and rehabilitate homes across the | ||||||
| 2 | Chicago metropolitan area and Cook County; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, NHS has empowered first-time home buyers through | ||||||
| 4 | home buyer education, down payment assistance programs, and | ||||||
| 5 | affordable mortgage options, opening doors to homeownership | ||||||
| 6 | for countless families; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, NHS remains deeply committed to assisting working | ||||||
| 8 | families in strengthening their communities through community | ||||||
| 9 | building, real estate development, and advocacy for equitable | ||||||
| 10 | housing policies; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, NHS has been at the forefront of addressing the | ||||||
| 12 | impacts of discriminatory lending practices and systemic | ||||||
| 13 | inequities that have disproportionately affected communities | ||||||
| 14 | of color, contributing to the persistent racial wealth gap it | ||||||
| 15 | seeks to eliminate; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, High-quality housing serves as a powerful | ||||||
| 17 | indicator of a community's overall health and prosperity and | ||||||
| 18 | represents one of the largest assets a neighborhood can | ||||||
| 19 | cultivate and grow; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Homeownership fosters stability and | ||||||
| 21 | revitalization in neighborhoods that have suffered from | ||||||
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| 1 | decades of divestment and neglect; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, NHS is leading the way in creating the next | ||||||
| 3 | generation of affordable housing, designed to meet the | ||||||
| 4 | evolving needs of modern families while addressing critical | ||||||
| 5 | environmental responsibilities and challenges of the future; | ||||||
| 6 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 7 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 8 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 9 | we congratulate Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS) | ||||||
| 10 | on its remarkable 50 years of service and its unwavering | ||||||
| 11 | commitment to economic inclusion and racial equity through | ||||||
| 12 | homeownership; and be it further | ||||||
| 13 | RESOLVED, That we commend NHS President and CEO Anthony | ||||||
| 14 | Simpkins for his outstanding leadership in advancing the | ||||||
| 15 | organization's mission; and be it further | ||||||
| 16 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 17 | presented to NHS as an expression of our admiration and deep | ||||||
| 18 | respect for their impactful work and enduring legacy. | ||||||