Juanita Irizarry has spent her life fighting for fairness and standing up for everyday people.
A housing expert, non-profit leader, and lifelong devotee for justice, Juantia has taken on billionaires, corrupt politicians, special interests, and won.
Now, she’s running for the Cook County Board of Review to make big corporations pay their fair share in property taxes and to deliver real relief for working families.
Raised in Humboldt Park, Juanita grew up in a household rooted in service. Her parents turned their apartment into a community hub, tutoring neighborhood kids, teaching them how to garden, and sharing fresh produce with families in need. Even as renters, they showed Juanita that stable housing builds strong, connected families.
Juanita knows firsthand what it’s like to lose a home. Skyrocketing rents forced her parents from their apartment, and years later, she and her spouse faced the same hardship when rent exploded. That’s why she dedicated her career to ensuring every family can afford a safe, stable home. She’s built affordable housing, led homeownership programs, and advocated for fair housing policies protecting renters, homeowners, and seniors.
Juanita began her career at the Olive Branch Mission, providing food, counseling, and housing to unhoused individuals, before working with community groups to build affordable homes and remediate lead hazards.
Over her 30-year career, Juanita has served as a leader in the non-profit, philanthropic, and government sectors. She has:
Helped build affordable homes in Cook County.
Directed Latinos United (now the Latino Policy Forum), championing equity and opportunity for Latino families.
At the Chicago Community Trust, she managed major grants supporting affordable housing, disability rights, immigrant justice, and early childhood education, and helped direct $70 million recovered from banks after the foreclosure crisis to rebuild impacted communities.
As Friends of the Parks executive director, she stopped Hollywood billionaire George Lucas and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel from privatizing private lakefront land.
Fought and won a legal battle against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to shut down a toxic waste dump on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Appointed by Governor Pat Quinn as Statewide Housing Coordinator for Long-Term Care Reform, where she led efforts to expand community-based housing options for people with disabilities and move residents from institutions into independent living.
A proud graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Juanita has taught college courses on urban planning, non-profit management, and community development. Today, she runs her own consulting business advising non-profits, housing organizations, and women of color leaders on how to create social impact. Juanita lives in Humboldt Park with her spouse and stepdaughter.