The Cook County Assessor's Office is hosted the 1st Annual Neighborhood Housing Forum on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at the Discovery Community Center in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood.
There were expert panels featuring affordable housing providers, housing advocates, single family and multifamily developers, and civic leaders to discuss critical issues in the housing community.
There were four panels from developers and advocates in the multifamily, single family, and affordable housing community to discuss these critical issues in the housing.
Panels:
Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
Low Income Housing Tax Credit Development
Low Affordability Communities and the Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program
Single- Family Home Development
Neighborhood Housing Forum
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Discovery Community Center
8560 South Cottage Grove Ave.
Chicago, IL 60619
Panelists:
Emily Bloom-Carlin, Metropolitan Planning Council
Emily Bloom-Carlin brings a decade of experience developing innovative housing policy solutions in the Chicago region, most recently as Senior Program Officer at The Preservation Compact. At the Compact, Emily led a broad range of initiatives to expand housing access and preserve affordability through cross-sector partnerships. She spearheaded the creation and implementation of the Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program, a state-level tax incentive that has created and preserved several thousand units of affordable rental housing since its launch in 2022. Most recently, she co-led a national study with the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, analyzing housing challenges and policy solutions across the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
Maggie Cassidy, Community Investment Corporation
Maggie Cassidy joins the Compact from the City of Chicago, where she worked with both the Department of Planning and the Department of Housing as Director of the City Owned Land System. During her time at the City, Maggie played a key role in the launching a brand new land sales and information platform, chiblockbuilder.com. This experience taught Maggie the value of relational connections and a collaborative spirit. Prior to joining the City, Maggie was a Program Coordinator at Neighborhood Housing Services implementing the Troubled Building Initiative for 1-4 unit properties. Working in Troubled Buildings was a formative experience, shaping Maggie’s understanding of the complexities involved in creating sustainable and thriving communities.
Steve Thomas, 5T Development
In 2021, Steve Thomas and Gregory V. Miller co-founded Development Partners LLC, bringing together their extensive experience and expertise in the real estate industry. Mr. Thomas is currently the Development & Acquisitions Manager at Five T Management Inc. and serves as the President of 5T Construction Inc. Since 2004, he has been actively involved in the acquisition and rehabilitation of multi-family real estate properties in low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods in Chicago. Mr. Thomas brings a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise to 5T Development Partners LLC, ensuring that the company is well-positioned to continue significantly impacting the affordable housing market in Chicago and beyond. Mr. Thomas holds a B.S in Systems Engineering from Howard University and is a native of Washington D.C.
Rafael Leon, The Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corp.
Rafael Leon is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation, better known as CMHDC, a position he has held since 1996. Under Rafael’s leadership and vision, CMHDC has grown to be a corporation with market value of close to $100 million in assets, two subsidiaries, and more than 700 rental units. CMHDC is an active non-profit housing development agency in Chicago focusing on the preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) in middle income areas. It relies on its own funds and private funding to acquire and redevelop properties while limiting the use of public funds. CMHDC was recognized for using this approach to win the 2017 Chicago Neighborhood Development Award from LISC for the Preservation of Affordable Housing in Albany Park.
Dave Mevis, The Habitat Company
Dave Mevis is Vice President of Community Development for The Habitat Company LLC (Chicago, IL), where he develops transformative, mixed-income, mixed-use properties in Chicago and beyond. Mevis is a 35-year veteran of the Chicago affordable housing scene, seasoned in government lending, private sector tax credit financing, plus nonprofit and for-profit development. Inspired by early experiences with Appalachia Service Project, Dave pursued a career centered on housing for those in need. He earned a master’s degree in public policy from U Chicago, and bachelor’s in Poli. Sci. & English Lit. from Augustana, Rock Island, IL. Mevis has developed or financed over $1 billion of affordable housing in his roles with Habitat for Humanity – Uptown Chicago, Illinois Housing Development Authority, Heller Financial, GE Capital, and Mercy Housing Lakefront.
Bryan Esenberg, Neighborhood Housing Services
Bryan Esenberg is the Director of the NHS Redevelopment Corporation (NHSRC). He comes to NHS with a wealth of knowledge and valuable experience, most recently serving as the City of Chicago’s Managing Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Housing’s Programs.
In this role, he’s committed to improving housing choice for all Chicagoland residents and working to move NHSRC forward in property acquisition and development across the city and suburbs, as well as preserving homes in our historic neighborhoods.
NHSRC is targeting aggressive growth as a vital social enterprise working with residents, government, philanthropic, and industry partners to develop homeownership with the goal of establishing our agency’s leadership role in bringing wealth building opportunities to our great city.
David Doig, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives
A seasoned professional in community development, real estate, finance, and government with over 30 years of experience, Doig serves as president of CNI. Prior to leading CNI, Doig worked in a variety of capacities within the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley, including General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District and First Deputy in the Department of Planning and Development and initially in the City’s Department of Housing. As Park District Superintendent, Doig oversaw a $350 million operating budget and a staff of over 3,000. Under his leadership the Park District’s bond rating improved and the District issued its first revenue bonds. Serving in Planning and Development Doig managed its neighborhood division which operates city programs to spur economic development and job growth in neighborhoods throughout the city.
Sarah Wick, Related
Sarah Wick is a longtime advocate for affordable housing and currently leads the affordable housing development business at Related Midwest. In her role, Wick has played a pivotal role in preserving and building over 10,000 affordable residences across Chicago and the Midwest. Since joining Related, she has overseen more than $1 billion in investments that create or modernize safe, welcoming, affordable communities that families are proud to call home. Wick has led several significant projects for Related Midwest, including the transformation of Lathrop, a multiyear, multiphase redevelopment that is revitalizing a historic riverfront site into a vibrant mixed-use, mixed-income community. Under her leadership, Related has delivered 488 units of mixed income rental housing, along with a renovated park and riverwalk. Wick is currently leading the next phase of redevelopment, which includes the renovation of seven historic buildings and construction of a new residential building, bringing an additional 309 mixed-income units to the community.
Paul Shadle, DLA Piper
Paul Shadle is a partner in DLA Piper's Development, Land Use and Government Affairs practice group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of general real estate development transactions (including acquisitions, financings and dispositions), land use and zoning, public-private finance and incentives for development and facilities location, historic preservation/adaptive reuse, corporate real estate services, and government affairs. Mr. Shadle represents owners, developers, investors, lenders, retailers and a variety of entrepreneurial and institutional clients in complex real estate, private and public financing, annexation, zoning and government-related matters for mixed-use/ sports/entertainment, residential, retail, industrial and office development projects, with a focus on public/private partnerships.
Riley McChesney, Shapack
Riley McChesney is a Director at Shapack Partners, where he is responsible for the strategy, planning, and capitalization of the firm’s development projects across residential, hospitality, office, and retail asset classes. Since joining Shapack in 2021, Riley has been involved in the acquisition, underwriting, and entitlement of millions of square feet of urban development. Most recently, he oversaw the capitalization of 220 N Ada St, a 29-story mixed-use residential tower in Fulton Market District—Chicago’s only residential high-rise scheduled to deliver in 2026. Riley’s prior experience includes roles at HFF and JLL Capital Markets, where he focused on investment sales and equity placement for multifamily and student housing assets nationwide. Riley holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration–Finance and a Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of Florida.
Guacolda Reyes, The Resurrection Project
Ms. Reyes' leadership in the development field has stemmed from experience in community development through real estate development, property management, asset management, tax credits syndication (LIHTC and NMTC), private lending, and government finance. Prior to coming back to The Resurrection Project as its Chief Real Estate Development Officer, Ms. Reyes was the Vice President of Real Estate Development at Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation. Ms. Reyes was the Vice President of Real Estate Development at The Resurrection Project for more than two decades. Ms. Reyes executed TRP’s foundational community development strategy in Pilsen, in the early 90s and later, citywide, through land inventory development, new construction single family homes, and building TRP’s rental portfolio through the acquisition and rehab of properties as affordable rental housing.
Chris Nash, Bank of America
Christopher Nash is a Senior Vice President within Bank of America’s Community Development Banking Group. Since joining the Bank in June 2022, Chris has originated and closed on more than $400MM of construction debt and $350MM of private equity with a best-in-class portfolio of affordable housing developers. Prior to joining the Bank, Chris spent six years with Red Stone Equity Partners, a private equity firm/national LIHTC syndicator, and twenty years in government, most recently serving under the Emanuel administration. Chris is passionate about public service and housing and their foundational roles in the health and vibrancy of communities. Chris currently serves on Chicago LISC’s Advisory Board, Preservation Compact’s Leadership Board and Illinois Housing Council’s Legislative Committee and when not advocating on behalf of housing and his clients can be seen at music venues and sports arenas around Chicago, cycling with his beautiful wife in Michigan or traveling near and far.