South Suburban Housing Center (SSHC) hosted its first Lean into Homeownership Housing Resource Fair on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Jesse White Learning Academy Gymnasium in Hazel Crest, IL.  SSHC invited partners to connect with community members, share homeownership products and services, and conduct outreach for available assistance programs. VIEW THE GALLERY!

With 30 vendors, the fair had a wide variety of housing resources, including trusted lenders, realtors, inspectors, insurance agents, government agencies, as well as local legal aid, utility, and weatherization nonprofits. SSHC educated attendees on fair housing and fair lending rights information, foreclosure prevention services, and pre-purchase information. SSHC Housing Counselors also provided potential homebuyers Credit Report Cards listing their Transunion, Equifax, and Experian scores with action items to improve their score. SSHC also shared the Village of Hazel Crest Down Payment Assistance Program, funded by the Village and administered by SSHC, offering up to $10,000 in closing costs and down payment assistance to eligible homebuyers.

We are happy to report that our housing resource fair connected 118 families with resources to empower their homeownership journey or gain housing stability after facing hardship. We are grateful to our partners for helping us reach communities in need!