Press
In an op-ed published by Crain’s Chicago Business on October 13, 2026, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs highlights how his office is putting public capital to work to catalyze the development of affordable housing and improve the lives of Illinoisans across the state. Among the initiatives highlighted is the Treasurer’s partnership with IFF, which was announced in June 2026. Through the partnership, the Treasurer’s Office invested in $10 million with IFF to fund community development projects.
Included below is an excerpt from the op-ed and a link to the full piece on the Crain’s Chicago Business website.
Illinois needs to build a lot more housing to meet demand and improve affordability for families.
Meeting this great challenge will require dozens of fixes, large and small, and new thinking from both the private and public sectors. Crain’s has ably put the spotlight on the housing issue and convened leaders to talk about solutions instead of sound bites.
As Illinois treasurer, I’m trying to do my part. My office might not be the first that comes to mind on housing, but my approach has been to go beyond traditional expectations of the office to put public capital to work on improving people’s lives.
Read the Op-Ed