Relevant Work Experience:
Yvette Jones-Swanson has over 25 years of experience in housing and real estate, specializing in assisting homeless veterans. She has held various roles that have allowed her to directly impact the lives of thousands of veterans, providing them with stable housing and support.
Sub-Specialty Expertise:
Yvette's expertise lies in veteran housing solutions and domestic violence (DV) survivor support. She is adept at navigating the complexities of these issues to provide effective, compassionate assistance.
Specific Achievements/Experiences:
Housed over 5,000 homeless veterans, including 80 in just 90 days.
Founder of the 100 Pretty Purses for Female Veterans initiative, which has provided essential items to over 1000+ female veterans since 2015.
Regularly conducts housing workshops at the VA, focusing on helping veterans transition from homelessness to stable living conditions.
Chair of the Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council at Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Graduate Degrees:
Master’s Degree from Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) in 1998.
Books Authored:
Author of a three-edition series on veterans buying and real estate guides, widely recognized as essential resources for veterans seeking homeownership.
Top Media Appearances:
Participated in a 30-minute segment on America’s Heroes Group, discussing her work and impact on veteran communities.
Yvette Jones-Swanson continues to leverage her expertise and experience to make significant contributions to the veteran community, both locally and nationally.
Sub-specialties:
Veteran Housing Solutions: Providing housing assistance and support to homeless veterans, ensuring they transition from unstable living conditions to secure homes.
Domestic Violence (DV) Survivor Support: Assisting DV survivors, particularly female veterans, with housing and essential services to rebuild their lives.
Real Estate for Veterans: Expert in navigating the real estate market for veterans, including buying, selling, and financing property, including new constructions using the VA home loan.
Non-Profit Leadership: Leading and managing non-profit initiatives that support veterans, such as 100 Pretty Purses for Female Veterans.
Community Engagement: Spent 10+ years conducting workshops and seminars at the VA and other organizations to educate and empower veterans.
Public Speaking and Advocacy: Representing veteran issues on media platforms and at community events to raise awareness and drive change.
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From unhoused to homeowners: Chicago woman’s remarkable journey helps fellow veterans
WGNTV [March 2025] -
Veteran Homelessness in America: The Unstoppable Mission of Yvette Jones-Swanson (Part III)
Mission Roll Call [March 6, 2025] -
Frankfort Nonprofit Launches Toiletries, Purse Drive For Women Veteran
Patch [August 23, 2024] -
Illinois REALTORS® Weekly - NAR Volunteering Works Grant Winner Yvette Jones-Swanon
Podbean (podcast) [December 19, 2022] -
Together, we build expertise, experience and the capacity to make our communities better.
Mainstreet Realtors - Keynote address [March 28, 2024] -
Housing Homeless Veterans and $800 Million in Grants for Veterans' Services
Cliff Kelley - America's Heros [September 23, 2024]















