CHICAGO—A gathering of more than 250 elected officials, developers, advocates, philanthropists, community members, and people with lived experience will take place June 13, 2024 to discuss and strategize around the housing crisis in Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois. The Tiny Home 2.0 summit at the University of Illinois-Chicago is presented by Pride Action Tank, a project of AIDS Foundation Chicago, and will explore smaller-footprint housing that is designed to be both dignified and beautiful.
The summit will be 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Thompson Room at University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Student Center West (828 S. Wolcott Ave.). The first Tiny Home Summit was in 2016. Like that summit, this one is expected to include a tiny home model displayed outside for attendees to tour.
Also attending will be special presenters from existing tiny home communities in Seattle, the Bay Area in California, as well as two from Texas—Austin and Dallas. They will discuss the challenges and successes of building and operating tiny home communities in their regions.
"We are excited to bring the tiny home summit back," said Summit Director Tracy Baim, co-founder of Pride Action Tank. "Given the continued housing crisis, the time is now to innovate and expand on existing housing options in this region. Tiny homes can be beautiful, quicker to build, lower cost, and provide dignity. We have the land and expertise, we just need to work together to scale this to meet the needs of tens of thousands of Chicagoans and new migrants."
Panels will cover topics such as housing first, land use, financing, operations, and design. Speakers will be announced by early May. More information can be found at Website Link Here .
Registration is $75 before May 15 or $85 on or after May 15 at Website Link Here . Student rate is $20. Breakfast and lunch are included in the ticket price. All panels will be filmed for later posting online.
Organizations interested in being listed as partners on the summit should email tracybaim@gmail.com .
The summit is being hosted with support from the Knight Family Foundation, UIC Gender & Sexuality Center, and Windy City Times.
