The Chicago-based Hispanic Housing Development Corporation (HHDC) announced the kick-off of a campaign focused on increasing affordable and first-time homeownership in the Chicago area. The campaign is being launched during NeighborWorks Week, which runs through June 8th, a national celebration of neighborhood improvement activities funded by NeighborWorks America, a Washington, DC-based organization of which HHDC is a member. The “HHDC Home Ownership” campaign will feature renovated homes on the northwest side of the city and in the south suburban area.   NeighborWorks provided a $500,000 capital beautification grant for the south suburban homes.  HHDC used the grant funds to help beautify the exteriors of the homes they renovated in Chicago Heights and neighboring communities. HHDC has been a leader in providing ground up and renovated affordable and market rate housing in Chicago and surrounding areas for 44 years. “As part of HHDC’s campaign, some of these homes may be sold to first-time homebuyers, which could include someone who hasn’t owned a home for three or more years,” says Laura Selby, HHDC’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our goal is to provide stability, commitment and creation of wealth in the areas where the renovated homes are located, which were hard hit by the 2008 recession.”