Expedited Housing Initiative: Lessons Learned Report Released

All Chicago has released Expedited Housing Housing Initiative: Lessons Learned, which reflects on the EHI initiative, areas for improvement and opportunities for the future. The COVID-19 crisis that began in March 2020 demanded action to safeguard people from the risks of the pandemic. The Expedited Housing Initiative (EHI) was established to support households experiencing homelessness at highest risk of COVID-19 complications and ensure that they could safely socially distance. EHI was a collaborative effort between All Chicago, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the Chicago Continuum of Care. All Chicago coordinated and managed EHI while in operation from October 2020 through December 2022. Numerous social service agency partners delivered direct services.

EHI leveraged an unprecedented reduction of barriers and an increase in federal funding. This allowed Chicago to test leading national practices to speed progress toward ending homelessness in Chicago. This report analyzes the qualitative and quantitative data, providing important information that can be incorporated into policies, system implementation, and programmatic standards, both embedding success and creating a foundation for continued learning and additional improvements.

Statement on All In: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CHICAGO All Chicago supports the Biden-Harris administration’s newly released All In: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Developed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) in collaboration with 19 federal agencies comprising the USICH council, this plan outlines new strategies to reach an ambitious yet achievable goal of reducing homelessness by 25% by 2025.  

All In is a strategic, comprehensive, and inclusive plan that seeks to prevent homelessness systemically, increase the supply of housing with supportive services, and combat systemic racism that has created disparities in homelessness.  

“We are encouraged by the new strategic plan, which aligns with All Chicago’s core values,” says Carolyn Ross, All Chicago CEO & President. “This federal plan is an important step forward, and All Chicago looks forward to participating in the increased effort to prevent and end homelessness.” All Chicago’s mission is to unite the community and resources to provide solutions that ensure and sustain the stability of home. 

Centered around six pillars – equity, data and evidence, collaboration, housing and support, crisis response, and prevention – the plan outlines strategies and actions that lay the groundwork for a future where everyone has a place to call home. It recommits proven strategies, including the “Housing First” model – an approach where housing is the first step to a better, safer, and healthier life. It also serves as a platform for providing services so people can stay housed. The plan sets the foundation for new initiatives, including one to reduce unsheltered homelessness.  

“Housing should be treated as a human right,” said USICH Executive Director Jeff Olivet. “The United States can end homelessness by fixing systems – not by blaming the people being failed by them. With All In, the Biden-Harris administrations outlined strategies and actions for doing just that. Now we must scale what works and develop new and creative solutions to build a future where no one experiences the tragedy and indignity of homelessness.” 

Learn more about the Federal Strategic Plan at: www.usich.gov/fsp 

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.   

All Chicago Receives $5 Million Bezos Day 1 Families Fund Grant to Help End Homelessness for Families in Chicago

Day 1 Families Fund grants $96.2 million to 32 nonprofits across the country to provide shelter for children and families in need 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CHICAGO – All Chicago Making Homelessness History, the organization responsible for leading a system of more than 100 partners that work to address homelessness through Chicago’s Continuum of Care, today announced that it has been selected to receive a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund—the largest private grant in All Chicago’s history. Launched in 2018 by Amazon founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos, the Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families.  

“This grant allows us to extend the impact of the Expedited Housing Initiative, a program developed during the pandemic to find a more efficient way to rehouse people experiencing homelessness,” said Carolyn Ross, CEO of All Chicago Making Homelessness History. “The grant helps us as we strive to move beyond a short-term emergency response to a long-term system change that secures a home for the families and individuals facing homelessness.” 

This one-time grant will allow All Chicago Making Homelessness History to provide its partners on the frontlines with funds and resources to extend their housing services and support for families. This will include building on its state-of-the-art Expedited Housing Initiative, which has rapidly rehoused more than 1,200 Chicago families and individuals in the last year through Accelerated Moving Events that allow families to find and select a home, complete applications and obtain furniture all in one day. Through this and other efforts of its partners, All Chicago plans to help an additional 350 families divert from homelessness over the next year. 

“With the help of All Chicago, I had a better thing to look forward to. It didn’t even take two months; just that fast. I got a two-bedroom apartment. I am able to invite others over now. It’s support. It’s help. It’s housing,” said Leonard McGruder, a participant in the Expedited Housing Initiative. 

All Chicago Making Homelessness History was selected as a Day 1 Families Fund grant recipient by an independent advisory board comprised of homelessness experts with experience in policy, advocacy, racial equity, child welfare and housing and service delivery, as well as firsthand experience in homelessness. 

This year, the Day 1 Families Fund issued a total of $96.2 million in grants to 32 organizations across the country. The 2021 Day 1 Families Fund grant recipients are: ACLAMO; Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches; Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.; All Chicago Making Homelessness History; AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement); Building Changes and Africatown International; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa; Colorado Coalition for the Homeless; Covenant House Alaska; Destination: Home; Doorways; Family Life Center; Family Service League; Friends of the Family; Homeless Action Network of Detroit; Homeward; LifeMoves; Lubbock Open Door; Mesilla Valley Community of Hope; Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter & Services; Mississippi United to End Homelessness; Newcap, Inc.; Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA); Portland Homeless Family Solutions; Project Community Connections, Inc.; Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP); Sacramento Steps Forward; SHELTER, Inc.; Texas Homeless Network; The Link; Tri- County Community Action Agency, Inc.; and Union Station Homeless Services. 

“With the help of All Chicago, I had a better thing to look forward to. It didn’t even take two months; just that fast. I got a two-bedroom apartment. I am able to invite others over now. It’s support. It’s help. It’s housing,” said Leonard McGruder, a participant in the Expedited Housing Initiative.  

The Bezos Day One Fund made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making meaningful and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing non-profits that help families experiencing homelessness, and creating a network of new, non-profit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families. Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has issued 130 grants totaling more than $398 million to organizations around the country working to combat homelessness and help families gain housing support and stability. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund

About All Chicago Making Homelessness History 

All Chicago Making Homelessness History is dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness across Chicago through four signature approaches: Emergency Financial Assistance, Community Partnerships, Data Analytics, and Training and Research. We provide critical financial assistance to people experiencing an emergency that could lead to homelessness or other crises. We convene key stakeholders and drive collaboration to lead Chicago’s city-wide response to ending homelessness. We manage a citywide database to collect and analyze data on people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness and the services they receive. We provide our partners with trainings, tools, information and research to address homelessness more effectively. 

Media requests should be directed to Hank Sartin, Director of Communications at All Chicago, at hsartin@allchicago.org or 872-291-1278.