Homelessness among Chicago Families Down by approximately One Quarter

Date: 14 Mar 2008

Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness

March 13, 2008

Contact: Lauren Wright
202-942-8246, lwright@naeh.org

Chicago’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness Shows Early Results

Washington, DC – Having experienced a record 23 percent drop in the number of families experiencing homelessness and a 12 percent reduction in the total number of homeless individuals in the last two years, Chicago is among an increasing number of major cities across the nation making measurable progress in reducing homelessness.

Every year 600,000 families with 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States. These families comprise approximately half of the total homeless population.

“Chicago’s ten year plan has produced life-altering results for these families and their children. Over the last year, we’ve seen dramatic success in other cities that have created and implemented ten year plans – cities like Portland, San Francisco, and Denver. Chicago’s success only further proves that reducing homelessness is a very achievable goal,” said Nan Roman, President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

In 2003, a collaborative effort of more than 200 service providers and public agencies created Getting Housed, Staying Housed, an ambitious plan to end homelessness in 10 years. The plan employs a Housing First approach that helps individuals and families access affordable housing and services much more rapidly. It also stresses across the board homelessness prevention strategies.

"Over the past five years we have invested heavily in permanent supportive housing and prevention, strategies that aim to end the revolving door of homelessness,” Acting Housing Commissioner Ellen Sahli said. “As we invest in new strategies, we are working to match households with the appropriate intervention. We believe this is a common sense approach that will help us maximize our programs."

Shortly after the plan was announced Mayor Daley endorsed it and made it an integral part of his vision for revitalizing the City. The plan, which marks a departure from a shelter-based response, has shown early results, with the city’s total homeless population declining from 6,715 in 2005 to 5,922 in 2007.

“We’ve been successful due to our implementation of a well thought out Ten Year Plan that has been supported by more than 200 nonprofit, public, and business sectors partners,” said Nancy Radner, CEO of the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness. “From small community and faith-based organizations to large providers of permanent housing, we’re proud that Chicago’s Plan has resulted in a new coordination of services throughout the homeless system, and to have targeted resources to some of our harder-to-serve clients, with positive results.”

In 2000, The National Alliance to End Homelessness proposed that communities adopt ten year plans to end homelessness. Since then, more than 300 communities across the United States have made a commitment to end homelessness through their adoption of these plans, which outline a wide range of strategies with an emphasis on permanent, affordable housing and support.

“Chicago, like many cities around the nation, has made great strides in reducing homelessness. To finally end homelessness, however, we need increased federal attention to the affordable housing crisis faced by communities across the country,” Roman said. “Communities can only do so much without adequate federal funding to support their ten year plans.”

Federal funding for the recently introduced National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Bill to produce, preserve, and rehabilitate 1.5 million affordable homes in 10 years, as well as the recent reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, will help alleviate the financial burden of creating sufficient permanent housing. If passed in the Senate, The National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Bill would provide some of the most substantial federal funding for affordable housing in the last decade.

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The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, mission- driven organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. The Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost- effective policy solutions. Working collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity, the Alliance provides data and research that lead to stronger programs and policies that help communities achieve their goal of ending homelessness. For more information on The National Alliance to End Homelessness, visit: www.endhomelessness.org