Mobility Counseling Program

MobilityCounseling

MOBILITY COUNSELING PROGRAM SERVICES

The Mobility Counseling Program assists families (with at least one youth up to age 16) in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program to move into Mobility Areas within the City of Chicago. Mobility Areas are community areas with poverty levels below 20% and low violent crime rates.

A Mobility Counselor assists families in identifying housing and community needs and desires, as well as locating a unit in a Mobility Area.  Participating families work with the Mobility Counselor throughout the move process to assist with transition into new communities (e.g. locating community resources, enrolling children in schools).  Participants can also take advantage of the following benefits:

  • Guidance on Mobility Areas, fair housing and tenant rights
  • Unit search assistance
  • A grant of up to $500 to be used toward a security deposit, move-in fee, or youth educational resources

Eligibility and Program Requirements

Current HCV participants who do not currently live in Mobility Areas, participants who are newly admitted to the Program and families porting in from another Housing Authority are eligible to participate in the Mobility Counseling Program. Families currently residing in a Mobility Area who seek to relocate to a new Mobility Area are eligible for Mobility Counseling Program services only, but not the $500 grant.

Other program requirements include:

  • Must be in good standing with the Chicago Housing Authority and current landlord
  • Must have at least 45 days remaining on your voucher
  • Must have one or more youth dependents up to age 16

Enrollment in Mobility Counseling

Step 1: For more information or to enroll, contact Housing Choice Partners (our Mobility Counseling Program partner) at (312) 386-1009.

Step 2: Once enrolled, families attend a Mobility Workshop to meet with their counselor and begin the process. See the Mobility Schedule below for dates:

Mobility Counseling Workshop Dates (February)

Mobility Counseling Workshop Dates (March)  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES


You may be eligible for additional programs to help increase your economic power.

Digital Inclusion: Access to affordable internet service, digital skills training, digital devices, and services in the community. For more information, call 312-913-7979 or email: digitalinclusion@thecha.org

Homeownership: Eligible families have the opportunity to use their housing subsidy to buy a home and to apply for down payment assistance. For more information, email: CTOprogram@thecha.org

LevelUP, formerly known as the Family Self-Sufficiency: Enables families to build financial assets while working toward educational, professional, and personal goals. For more information, call (312) 786-3188 or email: FSS@thecha.org

Tuition Support at City Colleges of Chicago: Eligible residents have access to low- or no-cost tuition with City Colleges of Chicago. For more information, call 312-786-3409 or email education@thecha.org

Youth Opportunities: Offers year-round opportunities for children, youth, and emerging adults to spend their time working, learning, and skill-building through programs and services. For information, call 312-786-6930 or email: youthopportunities@thecha.org

Workforce Opportunity Resource Center: Support Services for residents seeking employment or starting a business. For more information, contact 773-342-WORC (9672) or email at WORC@thecha.org

MOBILITY AREA MAPPING TOOL

Exception payment standards are part of CHA’s strategy to expand housing choices for HCV participants in Mobility Areas throughout Chicago. Effective March 1, 2018, Mobility Area is defined as a Chicago community area with 20% or fewer of its families with income below the poverty level and a below median reported violent crime count (normalized by the community area’s total population). Some community areas with improving poverty and violent crime rates along with significant job clusters are also designated as Mobility Areas. CHA uses this definition of Mobility Areas for implementing its Mobility Counseling Program, for approving exception payment standards, and for providing landlord incentive payments.

Start Your Search Here

If the property address is in an green area on the map below, then it is located in a CHA Mobility Area.

 

HCP Logo