First, they have initiated a pool of lenders to secure financial commitments. Then they have secured commitments to reserve land for acquisition, in several focused development areas. Next, they have created community plans for focused developm ent areas and presented them to community residents, government officials, and politicians. In addition, they have developed the concept of a citywide, housing counseling resource center, created its core curriculum, and developed basic standards for hous ing counselors. Finally, Chicago Partners completed a budget survey of housing counseling agencies.
All participants work pro bono .
This effort operates thus far with little funding. HUD's Administrative Services and the Argonne National Laboratory's Information and Publishing Division helped with printing a multicolor broch ure. Funding from a HUD technical assistance contract supported a charrette for six Community Housing Development Organizations participating in the focused area development planning. Most participants in the Chicago partners are high-level officials who can provide recommendations and decision making power. Carrying out their ideas in a timely and efficient manner, however, requires greater staffing capacity.