FAQs

Things to Know

Yes. The Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards. Please note, we do not accept American Express.

Yes. The Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center also offers a list of first-class caterers for clients who do not have a preferred caterer.

Yes. For a fee, the Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center has a portable projector available.

  • 350 guests –  Standing Room Only (no tables or chairs)
  • 300 guests –  Chairs (no tables)
  • 250 guests –  Rectangle tables and seating
  • 220 guests –  Rectangle tables, seating & dance floor
  • 147 guests –  Round tables and seating
  • 115 guests –  Round tables, seating & dance floor

On a case-by-case basis, the Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center staff may approve deliveries prior to the event.  Because the center regularly books events back-to-back, we strongly suggest you arrange all deliveries to be made during the six-hour time. The Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center does not assume responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged items.

Setup must take place within the six-hour time allotted for your event. If you require more time outside of the six hours, additional time can be purchased at an additional fee.

Our round tables measure 60 inches in diameter and seat seven to nine guests, depending on the type of chairs used. Rectangle tables measure 6 by 2.5 feet and seat eight guests.

To respect neighbors and other businesses in the community, we require all events end by 1:00 a.m; we value our presence in the community and wish to remain in compliance.

No. All tickets must be sold prior to the event, not on the premises.

Cash bars, the sale of drink tickets, and self-service bars are strictly prohibited. It is illegal to sell alcohol without a liquor license in the State of Illinois. Alcohol can be served by the bartending services not sold during events. Alcohol insurance must be purchased through Service Is Us (additional fees apply). Drink tickets can be sold in advance prior to the event, not on the premises. The center does not have a liquor license to allow the sale of alcohol.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If a neighbor is interfering with the safe and peaceful enjoyment of your unit for any reason, you should report this to Property Management.

The City of Chicago has created a Cannabis Information Center website that provides more details, information and resources for all Chicagoans about the new law. It can be accessed here: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/cannabis-information-center/home.html The City of Chicago in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health also has created Cannabis Facts Chicago website to provide precautionary guidance in advance of the new law. You can access that information here: www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/healthy_living/svcs/cannabis-facts-chicago.html.

The City of Chicago has created a Cannabis Information Center website that provides more details, information and resources for all Chicagoans about the new law. It can be accessed here: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/cannabis-information-center/home.html The City of Chicago in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health also has created Cannabis Facts Chicago website to provide precautionary guidance in advance of the new law. You can access that information here: www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/healthy_living/svcs/cannabis-facts-chicago.html.

No. It remains illegal to distribute or grow marijuana. Marijuana can only be legally purchased at licensed dispensaries. The production and private sale of marijuana remains illegal.

Yes. Property owners/managers can ban the use of marijuana at their properties and include this ban in a tenant’s lease. It is best to check with the property owner/manager and read the lease carefully so you understand the terms.

CHA wants to make sure you remain in compliance with your lease and our goal has been and continues to be housing stability.

CHA will maintain a balanced and reasonable interpretation of the new marijuana law and address matters involving the use and possession of marijuana on a case by case basis with a thoughtful consideration of circumstances.

The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and the City of Chicago are working together to ensure a safe, responsible, fair and equitable implementation of the law and how the new law relates to federal laws governing the use of marijuana in public housing.

CHA will be working with all residents and property managers to ensure that everyone understands their rights under the new Illinois law.

Applying for Public Housing And Project Based Voucher Program FAQ

You can apply online at any time. Applications are always open.

If you need assistance you can visit the Central Office located at 60 E Van Buren St or for all other Client Center needs, schedule an appointment here.

For Assistance In Other Languages:

Call 312-742-8500.

Follow the on-screen instructions at applyonline.thecha.org.

You will need your:

  • Social Security Number, Alien Registration Number, or Temporary ID Number (will be assigned)
  • Date of Birth
  • Email Address*

You will have the option to select the property or property group of your choice.


*If you do not have an e-mail address, you can register for a free e-mail address at Google or Yahoo.

All new applications can be completed online at applyonline.thecha.org.

Anyone interested in Public Housing and Project Based Voucher program can apply.

You will receive an email confirmation when you have successfully completed your application. For more information, please contact CHA at: 312-913-7400 or CHAOccupancy@thecha.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

First preference is given to CHA public housing residents and CHA housing choice voucher program participants.

Interns may be assigned to any CHA departments requesting interns, or to CHA vendor organizations. The Internship program is focused on providing broad exposure to various aspects of the housing authority.

Yes. The Summer Internship Program is full-time for 8 working hours per day/40 hour per week. Applicants should expect to work Monday-Friday; 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM – an hour is allocated for lunch.

Yes, the CHA Internships are paid experiences at the rate of $15.80 per hour.

Yes. Currently enrolled students in an undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college, or university (two-year or four-year institution) are eligible; applicants must have a grade point average of 2.0 for undergraduates and 2.5 for graduate students.

The goal of the Partners in Education program is to support CHA residents to receive their first Associates degree or Credential, debt-free. For residents who already have an Associate’s Degree (or higher) only a very limited amount of support is available through our Partners in Education program. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, wherein students who are awarded assistance can receive support for up to a maximum of 12-credit hours in total. Please note, this assistance is primarily awarded to Associates Degree students seeking to take a limited number of prerequisite courses prior to transferring to a 4-year institution to complete their Bachelors. Please attend an INFO SESSION and notify the program manager that you already have a degree and they will direct you with the appropriate next steps.

Yes! CHA covers the cost - including tuition, uniforms, books, and exam fees - for its residents to attend City Colleges of Chicago through a program called Partners in Education.

To register for CHA’s Partners in Education program you must:

  • Attend an information session
  • Be a current resident in CHA’s Public Housing or Housing Choice Voucher Program.
  • Have no previous debt with City Colleges of Chicago.
  • Apply for financial aid.  Financial aid is applied first, with CHA’s Partners in Education program covering any unmet costs.

As of right now, all information sessions are virtual. 

Information Sessions run 60 minutes in length.  You must attend on-time and for the entire duration of the session.  Being on-time shows that you are ready for school and value the investment being made in your education. As such, virtual access to the information session will close 5 minutes after the scheduled start time; late attendees will need to attend a later session.

Please bring a notebook and pen to take notes and know your CHA Client ID number.  

The Partners in Education program covers all unmet costs, after financial aid is applied, including:

  • Tuition
  • Uniforms
  • Books
  • Exam Fees

Costs are paid through non-transferable CCC vouchers for use at registration and the online bookstore. You must first attend an information session to be registered to receive these vouchers.  

Nearly every program offered by CCC can be covered in full through CHA’s Partners in Education program.

CHA’s Partners in Education program covers costs of:

  • Remediation & GED Prep courses
  • Basic Certificate & Advanced Certificate programs, and
  • Associate Degree programs

There is a limit to cost per student per year within the Partners in Education program. The only program CCC offers that exceeds this cost per student per year is the French Pastry School.  For students interested in this program, only a portion of the costs are covered by CHA’s Partners in Education program. 

CHA does not automatically pay for CCC courses for CHA residents.  CHA residents must register for the Partners in Education program first, in order to have tuition, uniforms, books, and exam fees covered.  To register in the Partners in Education program, you must attend an information session a minimum of two weeks prior to the start of your course to allow time for processing and verification.  The Partners in Education program does not cover previous debt or costs for courses that have been completed or are currently in progress.    

Notifications

Notifications are sent primarily via email to the email you used to create your account. Some programs offer text and voice notifications. Ultimately, it is your responsibility as the applicant to verify your application status on your Home page is Complete.

While you can opt out of notifications, this is not advised. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure your application is Complete. If you opt out of notifications, you will not receive deadline reminders and selection results or other important reminders. Your information is never sold to any third party. The only emails you will receive from ISTS are directly related to your application and, possibly, other scholarship opportunities.

Notifications vary by program based on the Program timeline. Refer to the Program timeline listed above for more specific information. Typically, deadline reminder emails typically begin 30-45 days prior to the application deadline.

You will receive notifications from two (2) possible ISTS email addresses: donotreply@applyISTS.com and ContactUs@applyISTS.com. You should add both of these email addresses to your “safe senders list” to ensure important emails are not sent to your spam or junk folder.

  • Deadline Reminders: Deadline reminder emails typically begin 30-45 days prior to the application deadline.
  • Selection Results: Selection results notifications are sent to all Complete applicants.
  • Funds Disbursed: Once your funds have been issued, you will be notified.
  • Other Scholarships: Occasionally, if you meet the requirements for another scholarship administered by ISTS, you will be notified. These notifications are not guaranteed.

Your information is never sold to any third party for marketing purposes.

Application Details & Required Documents

All required supporting documents must be uploaded to your online application by the application deadline. If you do not follow the upload instructions exactly, your application may remain incomplete. Documents that meet the criteria required for this application that are uploaded by the deadline will be processed and considered on time.

For more information on submitting your documents, view the full FAQ here.

  • ACT/SAT Test Scores: Optional.
  • 2024-25 FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR): Optional.
  • High School Transcript: Incoming College Freshmen only.
  • College/University Transcript: Incoming College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.

Official transcripts must be obtained through your high school administration office, or your college registrar office. Transcripts are normally printed on official letterhead and/or state that they are official. Transcripts may contain or require a signature.


Note: Your official transcript may come to you in a sealed envelope, stating it will become unofficial if opened. When scanning or copying your official transcripts, a watermark may appear noting that they are now unofficial. Despite any watermarks or sealed envelopes, you may open the envelope if needed to upload the document. These documents will be considered official for our purposes. Acceptable file types are .pdf, .tif, .png, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp and .xps. When scanning or copying, you do not need to include a copy of the sealed envelope.


Unofficial transcripts may be accessed through your school’s online student portal. These pages must still be converted to one of the acceptable file formats. Unofficial transcripts must contain your name.

You should list your first-choice school on the application. You can change your college choice any time prior to the application deadline. If selected as a recipient, you will be asked to confirm your final school choice. If your school changes after the acceptance deadline, you will be able to update this information on your My Profile page.

Make sure your My Profile page indicates your final college choice. It is your responsibility to make sure your My Profile page is correct at least 30 days prior to the check issue date listed above. If your scholarship check needs to be reissued for any reason, a reissue fee may apply. Please see the eligible school information above if you are not sure if your school is eligible.

Your funds will be issued via one (1) check in early August. Your check will be made payable to your institution listed on your My Profile page only. Your scholarship check cannot be made payable to you, the applicant. The check will be mailed to your home address so that you may deliver it to the correct office at your institution. You will receive an email notification once your funds have been issued.

I Want To...

CHA seeks to do business with capable and responsible firms while following an open and transparent competitive process to secure products and services.

Click Here

If you are interested in one of the many CHA job opportunities available, please apply here. Every effort is made to contact applicants selected for an interview within 30 - 45 days of the job notice date. However, if we have not contacted you for an interview within this time frame, your resume will be retained on file for six months.

Click Here

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is an independent body within the Chicago Housing Authority. Report fraud using the online form.

Click Here

FOIA Policy: Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), CHA provides access to public records for those who request them.

Click Here

Apply online for Public Housing and the Project Based Voucher program. All new applications can be completed at applyonline.thecha.org. We are not currently accepting applicants for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all units subsidized under the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program meet a minimum standard of health and safety rules called Housing Quality Standards (HQS). To ensure compliance, CHA or its contractors must inspect units that HCV participants wish to rent before move-in.

Click Here

Language Assistance FAQ

By reporting it to CHA’s Housing Rights and Nondiscrimination department. For contact information visit CHA’s website at www.thecha.org or HUD local Office; of FHEO. For contact information call the housing discrimination toll free hotline at 800-669-9777.

CHA staff designated to oversee the creation and implementation of department-specific internal language procedures. When applicable, the Language Access Liaisons are also responsible for collecting language data for their department and monitoring compliance. For general inquiries e-mail CHA’s Language Assistance inbox at chala@thecha.org

A policy approved by CHA’s Board of Commissioners on April 212015, which outlines CHA’s responsibilities to appropriately serve LEP persons and maintain compliance with HUD regulations.

A plan that identifies the needs of the LEP population that CHA serves. Some elements of CHA’s plan include but are not limited to:

  • Identifying LEP person who need language assistance
  • Identifying the points of contact CHA and staff may have with LEP persons
  • Training staff
  • Determining which documents and informational materials are vital

Language assistance that CHA may provide to LEP persons includes, but is not limited to:

  • Oral interpretation services
  • Bilingual staff
  • Telephonic interpretation line
  • Written translation services

For persons who, as a result of national origin, do not speak English as their primary language and who have limited ability to speak, read, write, or understand. For purposes of Title VI and the LEP guidance, persons may be entitled to language assistance with respect to a particular CHA service or encounter.