A Note from Stacie Young, President & CEO, and the Board of Directors 

Investing in Our Future. 

The theme of our FY 2025 Performance and Credit Review Report reflects the many ways in which CIC delivers on our mission: by investing in the naturally occurring affordable housing stock that our region relies upon, by investing in the small and local businesses who own and operate that housing stock, and by investing in our own organizational infrastructure to ensure we are strong, modernized, and meeting the evolving needs of our customers and neighborhoods. 

We are proud to have made meaningful progress delivering on our mission in 2025, despite CIC customers and their tenants facing headwinds of uncertainty related to federal executive orders and rising costs of materials, taxes, and insurance. 

Luckily – CIC customers, much like the neighborhoods in which they invest, are diligent, strong, and committed. I invite you to learn more about the “why” behind CIC and our customers’ work, including Jose Chavez, a first generation American who worked with CIC to grow his multifamily portfolio in Fuller Park. Or Joyce Trimmel who purchased her first multifamily property this year after gaining experience with single-family and 3-flat units. And finally, Bill Williams who used CIC construction financing on Woodlawn townhomes as part of his larger 30-unit, mixed-income strategy to bring new housing opportunities to the community.  

CIC is proud to support local owner-operators like Jose, Joyce, Bill, and the many others who stabilized and preserved affordable rental housing for Chicago residents in 2025. 

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Additional annual CIC highlights include: 

• Provided over $50.8 million in loans and grants to acquire, rehab, and preserve 962 units of affordable rental housing and 27 commercial units. 

• In partnership with the City of Chicago, CIC financed $1 million to preserve 71 Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units through the SRO Preservation Fund. 

• Through the Troubled Buildings Initiative, Community Initiatives, Inc. (CII) recovered 701 units, and made significant progress on stabilizing the 1,000 unit Heartland Housing portfolio. 

• The Preservation Compact progressed with partners on the Portfolio Health project, which aims to develop strategies to identify and preserve  at-risk subsidized affordable housing portfolios. 

• Property Management Training hosted 42 in-person and virtual events, collaborating with partners on timely topics to reach more than 1,500 participants. 

• We celebrated our partners and achievements at our 50th Anniversary Gala, and by launching the inaugural CIC Scholarship for Future Leaders in Neighborhood Housing with the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate at Roosevelt University to build the next generation of multifamily owners. 

• Resulting from a successful application and staff survey, CIC was selected as #20 on Crain’s Chicago Best Places to Work list!

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And notably, we were honored to this year be selected as a featured organization for the Wintrust Mural Building. CIC was fortunate to work with local artist Cristian Roldan, who created an inspiring three-panel mural that tells the visual story of how investment in apartment buildings and neighborhoods strengthens blocks and brings communities together. We are thrilled to feature selections of this original artwork on the cover and throughout the pages of this year’s report. 

I invite you to dive deeper into the stories of CIC borrowers and our work across many Chicago neighborhoods in the full report.  

While uncertainty and challenges may lie ahead both at a local and national level, CIC remains steadfast in our mission. We are grateful to CIC’s partners and investors who continue to stand by us and our borrowers, ensuring we remain nimble and responsive to the neighborhoods we serve. 

In partnership, 

Stacie Young, President & CEO 

David Dykstra, Wintrust Financial, CIC Board Chair