Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) has opened its site-based wait lists to veterans only for one- and two-bedroom project-based voucher (PBV) units for Otto Square Veteran’s Housing located at 1440 Otto Blvd. in Chicago Heights IL 60411. Otto Square is an 82-unit new construction community designed with the purpose of providing quality, affordable housing for our country’s veterans.

Apply to Wait List: https://www.rentcafe.com/onlineleasing/cook-county-live/guestlogin.aspx

Click here to learn more :https://conta.cc/3YfwiMd

The maximum occupancy standard is 2 people per bedroom. Families are assigned a unit size based on the HACC’s subsidy standards. Families with more than 4 people will not qualify.

The wait list will close at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the website. At this time, only applications submitted by veterans will be added to the wait list; the order of placement on the wait list will be based on a randomized computer-generated lottery system. Applications from non-veterans will not be accepted at this time.

If you need assistance or require a reasonable accommodation, please send an email to [email protected], with Otto WL Reasonable Accommodation as the subject.

Summer should be a time of enjoyment and relaxation, but for those experiencing homelessness, it can be a time of hardship and uncertainty.

Help us provide support and resources to those in need by donating to the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County this summer. Every donation makes a difference.

Donate: www.suburbancook.org/donate

The recent 100 Day Challenge has shown us what's possible when we come together to address homelessness in our community. Your donation can help extend this spirit of collaboration and support to those facing homelessness this summer.

Let's work together to create a community where everyone has a stable place to call home.

Donate: www.SuburbanCook.org/donate

Did you know that nearly 3,500 individuals experience homelessness in suburban Cook County each year? We are determined to change that. Help us provide housing and services to those in need by donating to the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County this summer.

Together, we can make a difference.

Donate: www.suburbancook.org/donate

📣 Alliance team members, along with our friends from across the state, participated in Capitol Hill Day as part of the 2024 National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference. We visited the offices of eight Illinois Congressional Members to advocate for a $700 million increase in HUD's Homeless Assistance Grant and we urged our Senators and Representatives to sign on to a letter to President Biden opposing the criminalization of homelessness.

A huge thanks to our elected officials for meeting with our team of fierce Illinois advocates to talk face-to-face about the crisis of homelessness and our work together to create housing for all!

All Chicago Supportive Housing Providers Association - SHPA Housing Forward

As we celebrate the success of our recent 100 Day Challenge, let's keep the momentum going! Your support this summer can help us continue to provide accelerated pathways to permanent housing for those most in need.

Join us in translating belief into action and making a positive impact today!

Donate: www.suburbancook.org/donate

From immediate shelter to long-term housing solutions, your contribution can truly change someone's life. Please donate now and aid us in eliminating homelessness in suburban Cook County

To donate visit:www.SuburbanCook.org/donate

Summer is here and we're thrilled to share our latest campaign with you! As the temperatures rise, so does the vulnerability of individuals experiencing homelessness. We are dedicated to assisting our neighbors in suburban Cook County in finding secure and safe housing.

By making a donation today, you can support our mission and make a positive impact in our community.

Donate Online —> https://suburbancook.org/donate/

The recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson allows local authorities to arrest and ticket unhoused individuals for sleeping outside, even when there is no available shelter. This setback for unhoused people and communities nationwide enables misguided politicians to implement outdated and counterproductive measures that worsen homelessness.

Research shows that the majority of respondents reject jailing, ticketing, and fining those who have nowhere else to go. With an increasing number of people struggling to find affordable housing, it is clear that this ruling will only exacerbate the issue of homelessness. To address this crisis, it is crucial for Congress to invest in proven solutions such as universal rental assistance, public housing, eviction prevention, and stronger renter protections.

We urge elected officials to reject ineffective and inhumane measures and instead support comprehensive policies that can make a real difference in ending homelessness and ensuring access to safe and affordable housing for all.

Exciting times at the CIE National Conference in San Diego, CA, where our Executive Director, Jennifer Hill, joined forces with esteemed partners from the Illinois Public Health Institute, Cook County Government, 211 Illinois and University of Missouri in St. Louis. Together, w”they explored ways to inform and transform the future of Illinois.

Collaborative discussions that pave the way for positive change!

Reinstitute, the Alliance, and partners across suburban Cook County just completed a 100 Day Challenge on Unsheltered Homelessness! In a span of 100 days, our community successfully housed 117 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and connected 310 individuals experiencing homelessness with shelter. Thank you to the Wednesday Journal for highlighting the extraordinary work! Read the full article here: https://www.oakpark.com/2024/06/03/100-day-challenge-homelessness-unhoused/.

“There’s something really special about suburban Cook County, and the way that they consistently come together across a diverse geographic area,” said Sarah Hennessy, senior facilitator and regional monitoring, evaluation and learning manager at Re!nstitute. “They face the challenges that they have with equity head on.”

Suburban Cook County houses 117 individuals in 100 days - Wednesday Journal In 100 days, organizations across suburban Cook County, including in Oak Park, housed 117 individuals experiencing homelessness in 100 days.

On May 3rd, our Advocacy and Community Impact Coordinator, Jalisa Holifield, spoke at Loyola Academy's "Putting 'Love into Action,' 2024 Spring Symposium" to address the affordable housing crisis in the city and suburbs.

She highlighted the role of the Continuum of Care in Suburban Cook County and engaged students in an activity to understand the shortage of affordable housing. The event emphasized the importance of the faith community and empowering high school students to make a difference.

New report from state officials and UIC’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy finds Black Illinoisans are eight times more likely to be unhoused than White residents.

During today's news conference, Governor JB Pritzker committed to increased funding for reducing racial disparities and said, “Our approach understands that homelessness is not an issue of personal failing, but of historical discrimination and structural barriers that have driven inequality for Black families across the nation, and of course, right here in Illinois.”

Pritzker Announces New State Funding Aimed at Addressing Racial Disparities in Homelessness “Our approach understands that homelessness is not an issue of personal failing, but of historical discrimination and structural barriers that have driven inequality for Black families across the nation, and of course, right here in Illinois,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday.

👩‍⚖️ is simple: can cities that fail to meet everybody’s basic needs of housing or shelter punish people with no choice but to sleep outside using things like blankets or pillows?

The outcome will determine whether the United States will be a country that fines or arrests people for experiencing homelessness or a country that invests in solutions that ensure everyone has a safe, decent, and affordable home.

As a Built for Zero community, we know what it takes to solve homelessness — and the answer is never criminalization.

Community Solutions Built For Zero

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3xmp8dv

As part of the 100 Day Challenge, our community is hosting Accelerated Moving Events. These events bring together landlords with available units and households working with housing navigators to find housing solutions. We would like to extend our gratitude to the 50 landlords, clients, and housing staff who attended last week’s West and South Suburban Events. These events were a success and brought together landlords and households to say “yes to the address”! Learn more at https://suburbancook.org/100-day-challenge/

We are excited to share a recent Chicago Tribune article recognizing the Alliance and the $1M gift we received through the . The article highlights the important work of the Alliance and how this gift will support our mission of ending homelessness in suburban Cook County. Read the full article here:

MacKenzie Scott gives $1 million to end suburban homelessness The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County was gifted a $1 million donation from Yield Giving, the charitable organization established by billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. T…

The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) will be opening a site-based wait lists for one- and two-bedroom project-based voucher (PBV) units for Otto Square Veteran’s Housing located at 1440 Otto Blvd. in Chicago Heights IL 60411. Otto Square is an 82 unit new construction community designed with the purpose of providing quality, affordable housing for our country’s veterans.

Applications will be available beginning on Monday, April 8, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the website; no other form of application will be accepted. Otto Square provides a preference for veterans. All completed applications from veterans will be accepted and placed on the wait list. Applications from non-veterans will be accepted, but may not be placed on the wait list as those selected for the wait list will be done based on a randomized computer-generated lottery system.

Download PDF: thehacc.org/app/uploads/2024/04/Otto-WL-Initial-Opening-4.2024.pdf

We are thrilled that our partner, South Suburban PADS, has also been selected as a recipient of a $1 million gift through the ! Congratulations to the South Suburban PADS team on this well-deserved recognition and we are thrilled that this support will enable them to further accelerate their critical, lifesaving services provided to people experiencing homelessness in the Southland region.

Local groups plan to put millions from MacKenzie Scott to good use: 'surprised and thrilled' Three local groups will put a gift from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to good use helping others.

Today, and LeverforChange announced that our organization received a $1 million gift as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States! 🎉

This is the largest donation in the Alliance’s 20-year history and will help us expand our reach, invest in our team, and drive systems change to ensure every resident of Cook County has a place to call home.

Learn more: https://www.leverforchange.org/challenges/explore-challenges/yieldgivingopencall
call/

View our official press release by clicking the link below:

https://suburbancook.org/yield-giving/

The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) will be re-opening its site-based wait lists for studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom project-based voucher (PBV) units for permanent supportive housing (PSH), where supportive services are available which help people with disabilities live independently in the community. The wait lists will be open for the following locations:

•HODC PSH – Units located in Skokie, Arlington Heights, Palatine, and Glenview –studios – 3-bedroom units

•Access West Cook – Units located in Berwyn, Forest Park, and Maywood – 1- and 2-bedroom units

•The Grove Apartments – 442 S. Grove St., Oak Park IL 60302 – 1-bedroom units only

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗮.𝗺.

Learn more: https://conta.cc/3x1WfDf

🌟 On National Good Samaritan Day, let's come together as a community to lend a helping hand and make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness. Join us in spreading kindness and compassion.

Together, we can create a brighter future for all.

💙🤝

Support a neighbor by purchasing an item (or a few!) off their Amazon wishlist to make their new place feel like home 🩷 Shop the wishlist here: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/26S603ESVV26U

We are thrilled about our new partnership with Hephzibah Children's Association, Oak Park Housing Authority, and DCFS on the Fostering Youth to Independence Project. This project aims to provide a comfortable and safe home for local youth who age out of Foster Care and have nowhere else to go. Together, we will ensure that these young people have access to housing when they have no other options. We are excited to see the positive impact this partnership will have and look forward to collaborating with other agencies to assist those in need. It truly takes a village, and we are fortunate to have a strong and supportive community!

Homelessness is a widespread and complex issue in Chicago and other American
cities, with no quick answers or simple solutions. While the public, media, and
even policymakers often look away from the problem, WTTW will spend a year
focused on the challenging experiences and unique perspectives of unhoused
people across Chicago’s neighborhoods in FIRSTHAND: HOMELESS, beginning tonight,
February 19, 2024 at wttw.com/firsthand.

Watch the trailer >>

Join the conversation >>

Thank you to everyone who made the
2024 Unsheltered Point in Time Count a success!

We had 160 volunteers on 36 teams who canvassed more than 500 square miles of suburban Cook County to connect with individuals who were experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

Volunteers provided community outreach materials to hundreds of community stakeholders to share with their neighbors experiencing homelessness.

A shopping spree is just a small part of helping someone experiencing homelessness gain stability, confidence, and the warm feeling that we really care! A brand new bed, pillow, sheets, and set of towels is only the beginning of rebuilding life and a safe space to call home.