Home For All: Housing IS Economic Development
A strong local economy depends on more than jobs and business investment. It depends on having homes that people can afford, in communities where they want to live. As Rockford’s housing costs rise and available choices become more limited, one of our region’s greatest competitive advantages is increasingly at risk. In Chapter Two of our educational video series, Home For All, local and regional business and community leaders explain why housing is essential to attracting workers, growing businesses and securing Rockford’s economic future.
PlatFORM Group, Zion Development, and Northwest Neighbors Announce Ron Clewer as New Leader of Combined Housing-Focused Organizations
PlatFORM Group (formerly called the Rockford Housing Development Corporation) announced that Ron Clewer, a nationally respected housing leader and longtime advocate for equitable community development, has been named the organization’s first Executive Director. Clewer, who departed his role as National Market President for Gorman & Company, began the new position in early 2026.
Our Mission
Affordable Housing for Working People Brings Value and Stability to Neighborhoods and Restores Healthier Lifestyles to Marginalized Populations.
PlatFORM is a mission-driven, private not-for-profit corporation dedicated to using our skills and financial resources to build and extend a planning platform intended to defeat the housing affordability crisis experienced by too many working people in our community.
Getting to YES!
Help Lead Rockford Area YIMBY
PlatFORM Group is soft-launching the Rockford Area YIMBY effort and recruiting serious housers to help steer it. Please join the chapter so we can welcome you, explore leadership roles and build momentum together to advance pro-housing policy and development right here in the Rockford Region. Free and paid memberships available!
Explore ADU's
ADU’s: Small Spaces. Big Opportunities.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) offer Rockford a quick, scalable solution to add homes, boost homeowner income, and expand affordable rentals. Discover how an ADU could work for your property.
As Featured on WIFR
Avon Street Project
The PlatFORM Group is making headlines with the Avon Street Project, a $45 million affordable housing initiative that’s transforming Rockford’s west side.
In their recent feature, WIFR highlights the vision behind the project, which will bring:
- 116 Affordable Homes: Apartments, duplexes and single-family housing.
- Community Development: Artist lofts, an early childhood center and commercial spaces.
- Neighborhood Revitalization: Economic opportunities and a vibrant community hub.
How Does Affordable Housing Differ From Public Housing?
The terms affordable housing and public housing are frequently used interchangeably, causing a lot of confusion in the process. They are two very different types of housing with different qualifying criteria. The problem is that by confusing the terms, many people who are struggling to afford rent don’t realize they may actually qualify for help.
UNCOVER THE FACTSIT’S WORKING IN OTHER CITIES, IT CAN WORK IN ROCKFORD, AS WELL.
185-unit development
10 efficiencies, 65 one-bedroom, 62
two-bedroom, 10 three-bedroom units.
100 units, multi-use, senior housing
PLATFORM NEWS & RESOURCES
- A Deeper Look into Rockford’s Housing Gap
- Home Prices Up 50%—Is Modular Housing the Missing Fix?
- PlatFORM Group + Region 1 Planning Council Health Atlas: Data To Inform Housing Solutions
- Housing Affordability: The Evidence Is In
- Affordable Housing as a Foundation for Healthier, More Resilient Communities
- PlatFORM Group VP Ron Clewer Responds to Rockford City Council Denying 180 New Dwelling Units