LUCHA has always been known for our resilience, our fight, and our relentless pursuit of housing done differently – with the best in building practices, strong community voice, and embedded services for residents. 

Today, we are thrilled to announce a new formal alliance with Association House, a long-standing community partner. This alliance will open up a fully integrated continuum of services for LUCHA residents, while allowing LUCHA to deepen our affordable housing development work. 

Conversations with Association House began nearly a year ago, as LUCHA experienced a leadership transition and sought to stabilize operations for long-term sustainability. Quickly, the conversation became, “how might we do more, together?” 

Association House, operating in Chicago’s West Side for 125 years, is well-known for their collaborative, multi-service model advancing health, education, and economic opportunity. As this alliance moves forward, LUCHA’s community and client-based services, like housing counseling, legal assistance, and resident engagement will continue under the Association House umbrella, bringing a united suite of services to LUCHA residents and the wider community. 

Moving forward, LUCHA’s focus becomes its signature housing development work, led by newly named co-Executive Directors Lincoln Stannard and Lillian Bui. With the backing of Association House, LUCHA will continue to operate nearly 200 affordable rental units while growing its pipeline of innovative, people-centered projects.

“LUCHA and Association House of Chicago are both long-standing organizations that serve IL-03. I applaud all efforts to ensure they are both strong, sustainable institutions able to continue serving our community. I am grateful to the leadership of both organizations for their collaboration on this forward-looking effort,” said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez.

“Coming out of the pandemic, it is more important than ever that nonprofits operate in a forward-looking manner. This partnership stabilizes operations in the quickly evolving affordable housing development space, while enhancing service offerings across the board,” explains Juan Carlos Linares, Association House’s President & CEO. 

Our supporters may remember, Juan Carlos previously served as Executive Director of LUCHA from 2013-2019, where he oversaw the award-winning Tierra Linda development. 

“With Encuentro Square opening and other exciting projects right behind it, LUCHA’s housing work has never been more vital or more needed. We have always fought to create homes where families can thrive. It’s incredibly exciting to imagine how this partnership can enhance tenant outcomes, while enabling LUCHA to sustain the mission we’ve had for decades: advance housing as a human right by building and preserving housing that’s rooted in our community’s needs and adds to the vibrancy and resilience of our neighborhoods,” adds Lincoln Stannard, Co-Executive Director and Senior Director of Community Development.