Housing Authority of Joliet

What Housing Authority of Joliet does

The Housing Authority of Joliet (HAJ) is a municipal public housing authority established by the State of Illinois Housing Board on April 9, 1945 and seated on December 12, 1945, operating today under a seven-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Mayor of the City of Joliet. The Authority administers federal housing programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development across Will County, Illinois, serving approximately 4,155 households through a portfolio that includes conventional Public Housing (394 rental units across multiple developments), the Housing Choice Voucher Program (roughly 1,330 tenant-based vouchers plus 869 port-in vouchers administered for other authorities), and Market Rate Affordable Housing spanning Liberty Meadow Estates, Water's Edge, Liberty Landing, Stevenson Crossing, and Thornwood House. Specialized HUD set-asides within the HCV portfolio cover Mainstream (207), NED (36), Foster Youth to Independence (11), Veterans Supportive Housing (62), and Family Unification (49) vouchers.

The operating model relies on HUD annual contributions contracts for Public Housing operating subsidies, Capital Fund grants, and HCV funding (admin fees plus Housing Assistance Payments pass-through to private landlords), supplemented by tenant rent calculated at 30% of adjusted household income. Distribution is delivered through a main office at 6 S. Broadway Street in Joliet, four on-site property management offices (Heritage Place, Quads & Mods, John F. Kennedy Terrace, Liberty Meadows Estates), and cloud-based self-service portals including RentCafe for residents, Securecafe for landlords, and the myportal.hajoliet.org applicant portal. The Authority runs a Family Self-Sufficiency Program, a Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program enabling mortgage use of vouchers for up to fifteen years, and an Academic Scholarship Program awarding $500-$1,500 per semester to residents in post-secondary education.

Capital development and tax-credit project execution are channeled through Hope Bound Development Corporation, a 501(c)(3) instrumentality created in 2006 that has attracted $63 million in public and private funding and developed 226 affordable housing units through LIHTC, HOME, Federal Home Loan Bank, and State of Illinois Housing Trust sources. The Authority holds a HUD High Performer designation (PHAS score 91/100, 2015) following a turnaround from a 2012 Troubled designation, employs approximately 40 staff under CEO Michael Simelton (appointed October 9, 2013), and complies with PHAS, SEMAP, WCAG 2.1, Section 508, and Section 3 frameworks.

Name

Housing Authority of Joliet

Legal name

Housing Authority of Joliet

Website

https://hajoliet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Housing Authority of Joliet is a municipal HUD-funded public housing authority that administers Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Market Rate Affordable Housing programs serving approximately 4,155 households across Will County, Illinois through direct property management and a network of private landlord HAP contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Housing Assistance

NAICS

Other Community Housing Services (624229), Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617), Rental and Leasing Services (532)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-Social Services (8300), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based) (FSALAKAI), Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Public housing assistance
• Housing choice vouchers
• Affordable rental housing
• Mixed-income housing
• Low-income housing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Joliet

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. HUD Federal Housing Assistance: The Housing Authority receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer housing programs including Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs. Operating subsidies and capital funds are provided through federal annual contributions contracts.
2. Tenant Rent Payments: Public Housing Program households pay 30 percent of their entire household's monthly-adjusted income toward rent and utilities. Housing assistance payments are made to landlords for HCV program participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Housing Authority of Joliet administers three core federal and locally funded housing programs: the Public Housing Program managing approximately 394 conventional rental units across Joliet developments; the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program providing rental assistance to roughly 1,330 Will County families through private landlords; and the Market Rate Affordable Housing Program offering rent-to-own and mixed-income units at Liberty Meadow Estates, Water's Edge, Liberty Landing, Stevenson Crossing, and Thornwood House.

Product overview

The Housing Authority of Joliet operates a multi-program affordable housing portfolio consisting of three core housing assistance programs: the conventional Public Housing Program managing 394 rental units, the Housing Choice Voucher Program assisting approximately 1,823 tenant-based voucher holders plus 869 port-in vouchers, and a Market Rate Affordable Housing Program with over 500 units across Liberty Meadow Estates, Water's Edge, Liberty Landing, Stevenson Crossing, and Thornwood House properties. Additional offerings include a Family Self-Sufficiency Program, Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program, and an Academic Scholarship Program for residents. The organization serves approximately 4,155 households across Will County through federal and state funded programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing Choice Voucher Program Federal rental assistance program helping very low-income families, elderly, and disabled individuals afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market through vouchers administered by HAJ. Approximately 1,330 tenant-based vouchers plus 869 port-in vouchers serve families in Will County.
• Public Housing Program Conventional HUD Public Housing Program providing approximately 394 affordable rental units for low-income families, elderly, and persons with disabilities across three housing developments in Joliet; 383 units managed directly by HAJ with 11 managed by Liberty Meadows Estates.
• Market Rate Affordable Housing Program Mixed-income housing developments including Liberty Meadow, Water's Edge, Liberty Landing, Stevenson Crossing, and Thornwood House offering single-family homes, duplexes, and apartments for low to moderate-income Joliet residents at various AMI levels.
• Liberty Meadow Estates 116-home rental community in Joliet with duplex and single-family homes offering rent-to-own opportunities through a 15-year lease program with Good Stewardship credits toward homeownership.
• Family Self-Sufficiency Program Voluntary program helping HCV participants achieve economic independence over five years through education, job training, counseling, and social services coordination; escrow savings accrue as household income increases.
• Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program Program enabling eligible Section 8 HCV families to use their voucher for monthly mortgage payments and become homeowners, with homeownership assistance available for up to fifteen years.
• Academic Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program awarding $500 to $1,500 per semester to Public Housing, Tax Credit, or HCV Program residents attending post-secondary educational institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• HUD PHAS score improved from 55 (Troubled) to 91 (High Performer) within 3 years under current leadership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Catholic Charities of JolietsupportingOthersDaybreak Center provides support services including career, childcare, disability, economic, emergency housing, employment, financial, healthcare, job training, legal assistance, life skills, mental health, nutrition, parenting skills, and/or substance abuse services to assist HAJ residents in achieving self-sufficiency.
• Child Care Resource & ReferralsupportingOthersProvides childcare assistance and referral services to HAJ families participating in workforce development and Family Self-Sufficiency programs.
• Cornerstone ServicessupportingOthersDisability services organization providing support to HAJ residents with disabilities for independent living and self-sufficiency.
• Workforce Services Division of Will CountysupportingOthersProvides job training, employment assistance, and career counseling to HAJ residents in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program.
• Silver Cross HospitalsupportingOthersHealthcare partner providing medical services to HAJ residents, particularly elderly and disabled populations.
• Will County Health DepartmentsupportingOthersPublic health services and health education programs for HAJ residents.
• Will County Veterans Assistance CommissionsupportingOthersProvides support services to veteran HAJ residents, complementing the 62 Veterans Supportive Housing vouchers administered.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreOthersPrimary federal funding partner providing annual contributions for Public Housing operating subsidies, Capital Fund grants, and Housing Choice Voucher program funding. HUD establishes income limits, conducts PHAS and SEMAP assessments, and provides regulatory oversight.
• Urban Property AdvisorssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManages tax credit compliance for Liberty Meadow Estates in partnership with the Housing Authority of Joliet.
• Hope Bound Development CorporationcoreOthers501(c)(3) instrumentality of the Housing Authority created in 2006 to build affordable housing and attract public and private funds that a Housing Authority could not access directly. Has attracted $63 million in funding and developed 226 affordable housing units.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• King County Housing Authority: Washington-state PHA with similar size, mixed-income development pipeline, and federal program mix. Comparable operational profile to HAJ with strong LIHTC development track record.
• Chicago Housing Authority: Illinois' largest municipal housing authority, administering public housing and HCV programs in Cook County. Direct comparable in mission, regulatory regime (HUD), and operating model — Joliet residents sometimes port into CHA jurisdiction.
• Philadelphia Housing Authority: Large municipal PHA administering public housing, HCV, and mixed-income developments. Comparable LIHTC/tax-credit-driven development strategy via instrumentality entities, though at significantly greater scale.
• Boston Housing Authority: Municipal PHA with mixed-finance redevelopment track record and HCV administration. Direct operational peer with documented public housing turnaround history analogous to HAJ's PHAS recovery.
• Housing Authority of Cook County: County-level housing authority administering HCV and public housing programs across suburban Cook County. Closest geographic peer to HAJ with near-identical program mix and oversight structure.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA): Largest PHA in the U.S., operating ~162,000 public housing apartments and ~85,000 vouchers. Overlapping mandate but at fundamentally larger scale with documented infrastructure and governance challenges relevant to industry-wide PHA dynamics.

Regional players

• DuPage Housing Authority: Neighboring Illinois county housing authority operating public housing and HCV programs in DuPage County. Comparable scale and suburban Midwest market context, though in a higher-income service area.
• Aurora Housing Authority: Mid-size Illinois municipal housing authority serving Aurora in neighboring Kane County. Operates similar HUD-funded program mix in a comparable suburban Illinois setting.

Others

• Urban Property Advisors: Tax-credit compliance management firm already partnering with HAJ on Liberty Meadow Estates. Representative of third-party LIHTC compliance and asset management ecosystem supporting PHA mixed-finance developments.
• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO): National membership and advocacy organization for housing authorities. Not a competitor but a relevant ecosystem participant governing HUD policy engagement and peer benchmarking for entities like HAJ.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ha_of_joliet
• Facebookfacebook.com/HAJoliet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housing-authority-of-joliet

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Housing Authority of Joliet