Congressmen Bill Foster and Sean Casten Join in FHLBank Chicago Roundtable Focused on Housing, Community Lending, and Economic Priorities in Chicagoland

NAPERVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) hosted a roundtable with U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (IL-11), U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06), member financial institutions, trade association partners, and industry leaders for a discussion on housing finance, financial services, and community development issues affecting communities across Illinois. Both Congressmen are senior members of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee with jurisdiction over the banking, insurance, and housing industries.

The discussion brought together perspectives from local lenders and housing industry experts in Illinois’ 11th and 6th Congressional Districts, to highlight the important role community-based financial institutions play in supporting access to credit, advancing affordable housing, strengthening small businesses, and responding to evolving economic conditions throughout the greater Chicago region. Illinois’ 11th Congressional District includes portions of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, DeKalb, and Boone counties, while the 6th Congressional District includes parts of Cook and DuPage counties.

FHLBank Chicago’s member-focused financial solutions help community financial institutions like banks, credit unions, insurance companies and community development financial institutions address local priorities and deliver meaningful community support. The conversation reinforced the value of continued engagement among policymakers, financial institutions, and trade associations working to expand housing, consumer, and small business opportunities and support long-term affordable housing and community development.

“FHLBank Chicago values opportunities to connect our members and partners with thoughtful and influential policymakers like Congressman Foster and Congressman Casten for meaningful conversations about the issues impacting local communities, including housing affordability and access to credit,” said Michael Ericson, President and CEO of FHLBank Chicago. “Our members are deeply rooted in the communities they serve, and their perspectives are essential as we work together to improve housing and credit opportunities in the Chicagoland area.”

“I appreciate FHLBank Chicago for bringing together local financial institutions and industry partners for this important discussion,” said Rep. Foster. “Community lenders play a vital role in helping families, small businesses, and neighborhoods thrive, and conversations like this help ensure we are hearing directly from the institutions working every day to meet local needs.”

“Access to affordable housing and reliable credit remains central to the long-term strength of our communities,” said Rep. Casten. “I was glad to take part in this discussion and hear directly from financial institutions working to address those needs every day.”

“Our membership in the FHLBank Chicago is vital to our ability to support our customers and community,” said Karlie Krehbiel, CEO of Lisle Savings Bank. “This roundtable offered a valuable opportunity to share with key policymakers the realities our institution is seeing locally and to discuss how together we can help advance affordable housing, small business growth, and community investment.”

The roundtable created a direct forum for financial institutions, industry leaders, and policymakers to exchange ideas on the challenges and opportunities facing local communities. FHLBank Chicago remains committed to supporting its members and partners with financial solutions that help expand access to housing, strengthen local economies, and build resilient communities throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.

Learn more about our public policy and advocacy efforts at fhlbc.com/public-policy.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago
FHLBank Chicago is a regional bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with a focus on providing solutions that support the housing and community development needs of members’ customers. FHLBank Chicago is a self-capitalizing cooperative, owned by its Illinois and Wisconsin members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. To learn more about FHLBank Chicago, please visit fhlbc.com.