Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness is excited to see that the city has laid out many goals in the Five-Year Blueprint on Homelessness that would address homelessness in meaningful ways. We are especially encouraged that the Blueprint clearly states the need for a dedicated revenue stream to create deeply affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness, something that our organization has been advocating for years. More than 58,000 Chicagoans experienced homelessness in 2024, and proposed cuts to federally funded housing programs will only increase this number. Therefore, significant local resources to tackle homelessness with housing and supportive services are needed now more than ever.
It is also reassuring to see that the city aims to expand funding for housing interventions that serve people below 30% of the Area Median Income, such as the Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund and Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing. In order to substantially decrease homelessness and address the significant racial disparities that we see in housing and homelessness in Chicago, more resources are needed to create housing opportunities. The Blueprint is a step in the right direction toward meeting those goals.
However, we are concerned that the Mayor’s Office’s decision to eliminate the position of Chief Homelessness Officer could make it more challenging to move this plan forward. CCH was one of many groups that advocated for the creation of this position and hoped it would become a permanent part of the prioritization of addressing homelessness in Chicago. The Blueprint’s goals are complex, ambitious, and will face many obstacles. Without someone at the city whose sole focus is to implement the plan, these goals will be difficult to achieve in the timeline outlined. We look forward to hearing more about how the city will implement the Blueprint, but eliminating the role charged leading the work could slow any potential progress.
