FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO – In a press conference yesterday, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge announced that Chicago has been awarded $60 million over a three-year span to address unsheltered homelessness. Secretary Fudge joined Mayor Lori Lightfoot, All Chicago Making Homelessness History President & CEO Carolyn Ross, Lived Experience Commission Co-Chair Richard Rowe, and Chicago Housing Authority Chief Executive Officer Tracey Scott to highlight the Biden Administration’s commitment to addressing homelessness.
HUD awarded $315 million in Special Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Competition Awards in 46 communities across the U.S. Chicago’s award of $60 million was the largest single grant.
“This funding is transformational. It will allow us to expand our services, improve our system-level coordination, and move more people into housing,” said Carolyn Ross. “We will be able to develop more robust outreach teams with immediate access to housing, and we will offer more supportive services for our clients once they are in housing.”
The Chicago Continuum of Care is using these resources to implement a comprehensive plan to reduce unsheltered homelessness that strengthens homeless outreach, provides rapid access to permanent housing and supportive services. The city’s plan also leverages health, behavioral health, and supportive services from partner organizations, as well as housing resources administered by the Chicago Housing Authority.
All Chicago and the Chicago Continuum of Care worked closely with people with lived experience of homelessness to determine the most effective ways to enhance and expand services for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. “Chicago wrote an amazing proposal. By far, one of the very best we’ve ever seen to express the need that exists here,” said Secretary Fudge.
This additional support will help approximately 300 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness move into housing each year. The funds will support new housing opportunities to the homeless response system: over 700 units of permanent supportive housing (non-time limited subsidies with intensive case management and support services), and over 50 units of rapid rehousing (time limited subsidies with case management and support services. The grant will help lay the groundwork for continued success.
Click here to see more information about the award announcement.
Click here to view the full press conference.
About All Chicago Making Homelessness History
All Chicago prevents and ends homelessness through four signature approaches – Emergency Financial Assistance, Community Partnerships, Data Analytics, and Training. Learn more at allchicago.org.
Media requests should be directed to Hank Sartin, Director of Communications at All Chicago, at hsartin@allchicago.org or 872-291-1278.
