About Us
Brush Hill Development is an affordable housing development consulting firm that works with non-profits to develop housing for their tenants with disabilities. We are a full-service real estate development consultancy. This means Brush Hill helps find and secure property, re-zone parcels when necessary, secures financing, designs then builds for our non-profit clients. We partner with our clients to lead them from conception to a fully completed project – doing whatever it takes to find, fund and build affordable housing. Our goal is to work in partnership with entrepreneurial minded clients who want to think creatively about housing solutions that allow their tenants to live more independent and fulfilling lives. Founded in 2016, Brush Hill has completed the following Permanent Supportive Housing buildings:
Flossmoor, IL – 6 units for New Star Services
Northlake, IL – 16 units for Trinity Services
Orland Park, IL – 16 units for Sertoma Centre
New Lenox, IL – 25 units for Trinity Services
Anne KearnsCo-Founder, Principal
My passion… Create more housing choices so people can have a brighter future.
Real estate has always been a mark of independence and freedom in this country. Having a home of your own provides a sense of pride, security and is an important part of overall happiness. My real estate career began as a second career in 2003 as a real estate broker with At Properties. Since 2003, I’ve sold over $185 Million and 350 multi-family and single family homes in the Chicagoland area. In 2016 I started Brush Hill Development with the goal to help people with disabilities have better choices in housing. I specialize in site acquisition and zoning for our non-profit clients. I enjoy creative real estate solutions, re-development of land, and building quality living solutions for our non-for-profit clients. Before discovering my passion for real estate, I spent 10 years in advertising and marketing in Corporate America. I’ve been a licensed Illinois real estate broker with At Properties since 2003. My B.S. in Business is from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
Chrissy Swanson
Co-Founder, Principal
My passion… Help Non-Profits get the funding they need to change the world
I have 18 years of experience in the non-profit sector as a grant writer, fund raiser, project manager, and consultant. My affordable housing career started as development officer at the Illinois Housing Development Authority in 2004. Since then, I have helped my non-profit clients raise over $75 million and participated in the development of 168 units of affordable housing. One of my proudest achievements is helping to raise funds to build the first ever National World War I Memorial in Washington D.C. My specialty is securing funding, grant writing and navigating the layered complexities of affordable housing financing. I started Brush Hill because my non-profit clients consistently pointed to the need for affordable housing for the people they serve. In addition to Brush Hill Development, I run Christina Swanson Consulting, Inc. with a similar mission to help non-profits with their funding and housing needs.