Housing Forward

There was a great discussion at the Village of Oak Park Board Meeting earlier this week about expanding our emergency overnight shelter at the St. Catherine - St. Lucy Rectory. Housing Forward is working to double our capacity from 20 to 40 beds to better serve those in need. Emergency shelter is a crucial part of our comprehensive solution to address homelessness and can act as an important step in moving people towards safe, stable, and permanent housing. As Lynda reminds us, our vision is to end homelessness, not just manage it, and we can only do that by looking at the whole picture. Read more from the Wednesday Journal: https://lnkd.in/gXiBQmyN #EndHomelessness #CommunitySupport #EmergencyShelter #SupportiveHousing

Armando Smith, LCSW, Housing Forward’s Chief Program Officer, and Janet Hotch, our Director of Emergency Services, recently attended the National Conference on Ending Homelessness in Washington, D.C. The event brought together service providers, advocates, and individuals with lived experience to explore issues and strategies related to homelessness and housing insecurity. The conference also included Capitol Hill Day, where advocates engaged directly with Members of Congress and their staff. Following the impactful Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court decision, it's more important than ever for organizations like ours and policymakers to come together to oppose the criminalization of homelessness. Learn more from the National Alliance to End Homelessness: https://lnkd.in/gk_VSt_K #naeh2024 #endinghomelessness #housingforward

There was a great discussion at the Village of Oak Park Board Meeting earlier this week about expanding our emergency overnight shelter at the St. Catherine - St. Lucy Rectory. Housing Forward is working to double our capacity from 20 to 40 beds to better serve those in need. Emergency shelter is a crucial part of our comprehensive solution to address homelessness and can act as an important step in moving people towards safe, stable, and permanent housing. As Lynda reminds us, our vision is to end homelessness, not just manage it, and we can only do that by looking at the whole picture. Read more from the Wednesday Journal: https://lnkd.in/gXiBQmyN #EndHomelessness #CommunitySupport #EmergencyShelter #SupportiveHousing

In 2023, Housing Forward made extraordinary strides in our mission to serve individuals and families experiencing housing instability. We strengthened partnerships, expanded health and housing programs, and built essential infrastructure for the future. We are proud to share our impact and achievements in our 2023 Annual Report (https://lnkd.in/gNXjTZvR): 2023 Impact Highlights:   📊2,109 individuals and families served with the help of 38 programmatic partners.   📊$354,000 provided in financial assistance to help avert homelessness.  📊26,498 meals served at interim housing, medical respite, and our fixed-site emergency overnight shelter.   📊362 units of supportive housing provided 160,430 nights of housing for individuals and families throughout suburban Cook County, making us the largest provider of supportive housing in the suburbs. We are grateful to our partners, supporters, and dedicated team for their unwavering commitment to making a difference. Together, we are building a future where more members of our community have access to safe and affordable housing. #HousingForward #ImpactReport #SupportiveHousing #CommunitySupport #EndingHomelessness 

Earlier this week, to celebrate Nurse’s Week, the generous nursing team at MacNeal Hospital donated $2,000 to support Sojourner House, our Medical Respite partnership with MacNeal/Loyola Medicine. A huge thank you to the team for their support - their commitment to giving back to our communities is deeply appreciated! #HousingForward #CommunitySupport  

We are angered and disappointed by today’s Supreme Court decision in #GrantsPassvJohnson, which allows cities to arrest and ticket people experiencing homelessness for sleeping outside or in cars, even when no shelter or housing is available. “Being homeless is not a crime,” says Housing Forward CEO Lynda Schueler. “To criminalize someone who does not have their basic needs meet is cruel and frankly unconscionable and completely misguided.” Read our full statement here: https://lnkd.in/gKVprY7b

In May, we welcomed seven new members, (Michelle Melin-Rogovin, Frank Sullivan, Jonas Robinson, David Boensch, Matt Fitz, and Sharada Sullivan) including a new Northwestern Kellogg Board Fellow, (Zachary Mueller) to Housing Forward's Board of Directors. Each brings unique professional and personal expertise, and we are thrilled to have their valuable perspectives on our team! #HousingForward

We are angered and disappointed by today’s Supreme Court decision in #GrantsPassvJohnson, which allows cities to arrest and ticket people experiencing homelessness for sleeping outside or in cars, even when no shelter or housing is available. “Being homeless is not a crime,” says Housing Forward CEO Lynda Schueler. “To criminalize someone who does not have their basic needs meet is cruel and frankly unconscionable and completely misguided.” Read our full statement here: https://lnkd.in/gKVprY7b

Last week, we closed out another successful year at the Economy Shop by celebrating the individuals who run it - our dedicated volunteers! Every year, this amazing group puts in a ton of time and energy to make sure everything runs smoothly. Thank you to all our volunteers who make the Economy Shop a success! We look forward to seeing you again in the fall. 📅Important Dates 1. Summer Break: The Economy Shop is currently closed for annual summer break. 2. Donations Accepted: We will start accepting donations again on August 20, 2024. 3. Next Shopping Day: Mark your calendars for next shopping day on Thursday, September 5, 2024. #HousingForward #EconomyShop

At the Illinois State of Reform Health Policy Conference, Lynda Schueler, CEO of Housing Forward, highlighted the critical link between housing and healthcare. She shared that 11% of our shelter intakes had spent the previous night in a hospital, prompting a partnership with Cook County Health to better coordinate services. Read more about these efforts to improve healthcare and housing integration.