Illinois Newsroom has been covering the struggle to find affordable housing around the state. The lack of funding to build housing for people with low-incomes is one challenge. But city governments can influence where and how housing is built through their zoning rules.

An estimated 10,643 people in Illinois are homeless according to federal data. Many of those are working - but still can’t make ends meet.

Many communities in Illinois have rules that say renters can lose their housing if someone in the home is connected to a crime. City leaders who back the policies say the rules make neighborhoods safer. But fair housing advocates question the tactics.

New tax incentives could help some downstate Illinois cities rehab some old buildings for housing and businesses. But there are a few catches.

A law allows Illinois school districts to use a portion of their transportation funding to help homeless families, and those at risk of becoming homeless, pay for a place to live.