Homelessness among pregnant and postpartum people and young children and their families is a significant and growing problem in Illinois. Housing insecurity and homelessness while pregnant contributes to an array of adverse maternal health outcomes. Similarly, experiencing homelessness during early childhood years can have lasting impacts on child health and development.
Unfortunately, child and family homelessness is often less visible than homelessness among other populations and is therefore often overlooked by government officials and other community leaders. As a result, national, state, and local responses to persistent homelessness do not adequately address the unique needs and conditions that families experiencing homelessness face.
To address this critical issue, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Start Early, and the University of Illinois Chicago Center for Research on Women and Gender are collaborating on the Housing Insecurity and Homelessness in Illinois among the Pregnant and Parenting (HIHIPP) project.
This project builds on previous research conducted by UIC CRWG and aims to create a 10-year action plan for preventing and ending homelessness among expectant parents and young children in Illinois. The project focuses specifically on pregnant people and families with children under age 3, as well as several subpopulations that experience unique vulnerability concurrently with housing insecurity:
