The Illinois Housing Development Authority has won two national awards recognizing its work to train new affordable-housing developers and strengthen its workplace culture, the agency said.
IHDA received the honors on Oct. 5 at the 2026 National Council of State Housing Agencies Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan. Both were Annual Awards for Program Excellence.
The first award, in the Rental Housing category for encouraging new construction and promoting preservation, went to IHDA's Next Generation Capacity Building Initiative, known as Next Gen. The second, in the Management Innovation category for human resources, recognized the IHDA Core Values initiative.
"These awards reflect IHDA's commitment to building a stronger, more inclusive housing system and a workplace culture grounded in shared values," said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. "By investing in our employees and equipping the next generation of affordable housing developers with the tools and support they need to succeed, we are expanding opportunity and strengthening communities across Illinois. Congratulations to all the staff and stakeholders who helped develop and implement these initiatives."
The Next Gen program
IHDA says Next Gen equips emerging developers with technical skills, industry access and hands-on support to enter affordable housing development and compete in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, the primary financing tool used to build rental housing nationwide. Participants are trained in development team building, deal structuring, navigating IHDA programs and property management, with coaching and industry networking.
To date, seven Next Gen alumni have received Low-Income Housing Tax Credit awards from IHDA and Chicago's Department of Housing, according to the agency.
The Core Values initiative
IHDA says it formalized five Core Values — People, Teamwork, Equity & Inclusion, Innovation, and Respect — and worked to embed them throughout the employee experience, including in annual reviews, hiring and employee recognition. The agency says the values are meant to shape workplace culture, align behaviors and improve recruitment and retention.
About the awards and IHDA
The NCSHA Annual Awards for Program Excellence, established in 1984, identify industry best practices and encourage innovation among housing finance agencies. Entries are judged on criteria including creativity, replicability, response to state housing needs and demonstrating benefits that outweigh costs. A full list of 2026 winners and submissions is available at ncsha.org.
IHDA is a self-supporting state agency that finances the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Illinois. Established in 1967, the agency says it has delivered more than $30 billion in financing toward the purchase, development or rehabilitation of 343,475 homes and apartments for low- and middle-income households. More information is available at www.ihda.org.
Source: the original release