Chicago Housing Authority releases results from first Resident Survey in recent history

Chicago Housing Authority releases results from first Resident Survey in recent history

Thousands of residents responded, pointing to positive momentum alongside clear opportunities for improvement

CHICAGO: The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) released results from its first resident survey in recent history, capturing direct feedback from thousands of residents. The results reflect overall positive sentiment toward CHA while clearly identifying areas where residents expect continued improvement. Residents from across CHA’s portfolio—including Housing Choice Voucher participants, public housing residents, seniors, and those in subsidized housing—shared insights that will help guide CHA’s policies, programs, and investments moving forward. More than 4,000 residents responded to the survey in total, with most questions receiving approximately 3,000 answers.

“Our residents are at the core of everything we do, and we rely on their voices to help guide our priorities,” said Operating Chairman Matthew Brewer. “As we undergo leadership transition and strategic planning, this survey gives us a better understanding of what is working, where we must improve, and how to better align our efforts with resident needs.”

Francine Washington, Central Advisory Council President, said: “Our residents deserve to have their voices heard, and this survey allowed them to speak freely and directly to both the benefits and concerns of living at a CHA property. We look forward to working with CHA to continue building on our strengths while also addressing much needed areas of improvement and ensuring residents are getting the attention, care and resources they need.”

Key Findings:

CHA earned a positive 24.5 Net Promoter Score, confirming that more residents view CHA positively than negatively.

55 percent of respondents believe CHA offers the right services to help people achieve their goals.

More than half of respondents said maintenance and cleanliness expectations were met, and work orders were completed on time.

71 percent of respondents reported learning new skills through CHA programs

Key Challenges Identified

Persistent building and maintenance issues that impact comfort and quality of life.

Negative resident behaviors affecting overall community well-being.

Limited participation in upward mobility programs, with only 29 percent of respondents utilizing services such as Level Up, Down Payment Assistance, and Choose to Own

Administrative challenges with some property managers

CHA engaged an independent third-party vendor to conduct the survey to ensure confidentiality and encourage candid feedback. CHA and the vendor partnered with resident leadership on the survey design, including specific questions. The survey was launched in June 2025 and closed in late August, and was distributed through multiple channels, including paper surveys, digital outreach, and in-person focus groups. In the coming year, CHA will engage with residents to develop tangible strategies to address the survey results.

The survey was conducted as part of CHA’s Year of Renewal, a yearlong effort focused on strengthening accountability, improving transparency, and elevating the resident experience. Throughout the year, CHA advanced major initiatives designed to create healthier, safer housing and build stronger, more responsive systems for residents.

Year of Renewal – What CHA Has Delivered:

Established a new Healthy Homes Division to proactively address environmental hazards and promote healthier living conditions for public housing residents.

Sponsored lead-safe renovation training for more than 260 people, including Section 3 vendors, CHA staff, and private property management staff, with additional courses underway

Completed lead hazard remediation benefitting more than 100 apartments

Launched a centralized Data & Impact Hub to expand public access to key information on operations, development, and strategic planning

Advanced efforts to strengthen Property and Asset Management, including hiring additional staff to improve oversight of third-party property managers

Expanded the Asset Preservation Program to better monitor CHA units in mixed-income developments and support long-term housing viability

Established a dedicated Fire and Safety Team to ensure building systems are operational and prepared for emergencies

Launched a new Internal Audit function to improve internal controls, standardize processes, and shift operations from reactive to proactive and preventive

Increased oversight of third-party partners to ensure performance aligns with CHA’s mission and accountability standards

Other 2025 CHA Accomplishments included:

166 CHA residents became homeowners through the agency’s Choose to Own and Down Payment Assistance programs.

61 residents graduated from LevelUp, the agency’s wealth-building program, which enables participants to build financial assets while working toward personal goals and self-sufficiency. Savings are set aside in an escrow account as participants achieve goals and the money accrued is disbursed upon program completion. The 2025 graduating class earned nearly $475,000 in escrow savings.

CHA launched “Our House,” its first podcast series designed to help residents better understand the agency and the programs and services that are available to them. Hosted by CHA Manager of Resident Engagement Crystal Palmer, Our House is an entertaining and educational take on all things CHA with more than 2,000 listens.

CHA participated in eight ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings around the city, including Roosevelt Square, Canvas at Leland Plaza, Lakeview Landing, Encuentro Square, Grace Manor and Westhaven Park Station. Together these projects are adding more than 400 new apartments for Chicago families.

CHA received four Community Innovation Awards from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) in 2025. The winners were:

“Be Your Own Boss,” an entrepreneurship program run by CHA and Future Founders, won in the Resident and Client Services category

Edith Spurlock Sampson and Sheffield Residences and National Public Housing Museum – the two development projects both received awards in the Community Revitalization category

CHA’s Digital Inclusion Team won in the Resident and Client Services category.

More than 1,500 seniors celebrated the holidays in style at the 42nd annual Senior Gala

CHA distributed 5,000 new winter coats to over 2,000 CHA families at Operation Warm. We were also joined by 30 organizations offering valuable services at our resource fair. Families also received books from the National Book Foundation.

For more information, visit www.thecha.org

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