2025 Kreisman Initiative Housing Challenge Symposium

May 15, 2025

The Keller Center, Sky Suite (4th Floor)
1307 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637

Welcome to the 2025 Kreisman Initiative Housing Challenge Symposium, an event that brings together innovative minds and passionate advocates to address one of the most pressing challenges facing our city: the severe shortage of affordable housing in Chicago.

Hosted by the Kreisman Initiative for Housing Law and Policy, the symposium marks the culmination of the inaugural Kreisman Initiative Housing Challenge (KIHC), a groundbreaking competition aimed at inspiring actionable solutions to create 126,125 affordable rental homes in Chicago over the next 3-5 years.

Beginning in January, University of Chicago students—both graduate and undergraduate—were invited to develop comprehensive proposals addressing this ambitious goal. Teams were challenged to craft solutions grounded in funding strategy, planning and design, and community engagement, addressing the critical shortage identified by a recent report from Housing Action Illinois and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).

With a $5,000 prize on the line, finalists have worked tirelessly to prepare their proposals. These exceptional teams will present their visions during the symposium, sharing innovative ideas to confront the city’s affordable housing crisis.

The three finalist teams have been selected:

Reclaiming Space: Using Public Land and Vacancy Taxes to Build and Revitalize Chicago’s Neighborhoods:

Adam Jensen (Public Policy and Environment, Geography, & Urbanization, The College, 3rd Year)
Kelli Lynch (Urban Studies and Public Policy with a minor in French, The College, 3rd Year)
Elayna Whiteman (Economics, Human Rights, and Public Policy, The College, 3rd Year)

The 3R’s for Affordable Housing :

Prabhdeen Kaur (Masters in Public Policy, The Harris School of Public Policy, 1st Year)
Siddha Khatal (Master of Arts in Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods, The Harris School of Public Policy, 2nd Year)
Julian Huang (Computer Science and Math, The College, 1st Year)
Jiayu Zhao (Masters in Computational Analysis and Public Policy, The Harris School of Public Policy, 1st Year)

Reclaiming Space: Using Public Land and Vacancy Taxes to Build and Revitalize Chicago’s Neighborhoods:

Jeremy Endicott (Masters in Business Adminstration, Booth School of Business, 1st Year)
Ryan McCray (Masters in Public Policy, The Harris School of Public Policy, 1st Year)
Henry Nieberg (Masters in Business Adminstration, Booth School of Business, 2nd Year)

Jury panel members include:

Tiffany Smith, Director of Heartland Next and the Urban Leader in Residence at the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, University of Chicago
Daniel Kay Hertz, Director of Housing, Impact for Equity
Kristin Faust, Executive Director, Illinois Housing Development Authority
Emily Talen (Ex-Officio), Professor of Urbanism at the University of Chicago

The symposium will also include a keynote by Lissette Castañeda, Commissioner, Department of Housing, City of Chicago.

We hope this event fosters bold conversations, collaboration, and momentum toward real change in housing policy and development.

Tentative Schedule

The Keller Center, 4th Floor Sky Suite

1:00 – 1:15 Opening Remarks: Christopher Berry and Emily Talen

1:15 – 2:15 Jurors’ Presentations: Tiffany Smith, Daniel Kay Hertz, and Kristin Faust

2:15 – 2:30 Coffee Break

2:30 – 3:30 Student Finalist Presentations

3:30 – 3:40 Coffee Break

3:40 – 4:25 Closing Keynote, Lissette Castañeda, Commissioner, Department of Housing, City of Chicago

4:30 – 4:45 Presentation of Awards

The Keller Center, 1st Floor Lobby

5:00 – 6:00 Reception

Parking:

Street parking on 60th, Woodlawn and the Midway Plaisance
Kimbark South Parking Garage located 6021 S. Kimbark Avenue ($29; 4+ hours)
Parking is available after 4:00pm in the parking lot behind the Keller Center, access the parking lot via Kenwood Avenue.