Family Homelessness Prevention Program

In 1999, the CCH housing campaign successfully advocated for a grants
program to provide rent, mortgage, utility and other assistance for
low-income and middle-income families experiencing short-term crises
that caused them to face homelessness. As of June 2008, this cost-effective program has
prevented 79,000 households from experiencing homelessness with grants
that average less than $800. In 2006, It Takes a Home
successfully advocated to increase prevention funding from $5 million
to $11 million--increasing the number of families helped to 12,000 per
year.

For more information, visit the IDHS Homeless Prevention Program.

Rental Housing Support Program

In 2005, the campaign successfully passed legislation to provide permanent
affordable housing for families earning less than $20,000 a year
through rental subsidies to landlords. The subsidies are funded through a $10
charge on real estate recordings, and are set to help 1,930 families statewide in 2008-09.

For more information, visit the IHDA Rental Housing Support Program.

Read the story of one mother who was helped by rent support here.