Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness
Home Illinois
Illinois' Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness sets the foundational vision to ending homelessness in the state through both established and new innovative strategies. Illinois residents, community agencies and state government will work together to prevent entries into shelter. When literal homelessness does occur, the experience will be brief and one-time.
The Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness
The Task Force is charged with delivering a State plan on homelessness and delivering it to the Governor and General Assembly. The key purpose of the Task Force is to coordinate strategy, effort, and impact to programs for persons experiencing homelessness and housing instabilities.
The Community Advisory Council on Homelessness
The Advisory Council provides guidance and recommendations to the Task Force on the strategy and implementation of the Illinois Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The representation on the Advisory Council is representative of rural, urban, and suburban communities.
Executive Order to Fight Homelessness in Illinois
In September 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Executive Order to Fight Homelessness in Illinois. The executive order created two new commissions within State Government and a new position to lead the work: Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness, Community Advisory Council, State Homelessness Chief.
State Homelessness Chief
The Chief serves as the chair of the Task Force and co-chair of the Advisory Council. The EO identifies the role of the Chief to "serve as a policymaker and spokesperson on homelessness prevention, including coordinating the multi-agency effort through legislation, rules, and budgets and communicating with the Illinois General Assembly, federal, and local leaders on these critical issues." As operationalization of the EO commences, the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (IOPEH) is created to provide administrative support and infrastructure for the cross-agency work of the Task Force and Advisory Council.
"With the passage of funding for Home Illinois, we are sending a clear message: no Illinoisians deserves to live on a sidewalk, no one deserves to live on a park bench, no child deserves to live in the back of a car." Chief Homelessness Officer, Christine Haley
Who We Are
On July 26, 2023, Governor Pritzker signed HB2831 codifying the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness and the permanency of the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The bill codifies the interagency collaboration to move Illinois to functional Zero homelessness by bolstering the safely net, targeting high-risk populations, expanding affordable housing, securing financial stability for unhoused individuals, and closing the mortality gap.
Mission
Coordinating State of Illinois agency strategies and investments and partnering with the community to build a strong safety net and permanent housing for Illinoisans facing homelessness and housing insecurity.
Vision
No resident in the State of Illinois lives on the street, in a shelter or in overcrowded housing. Illinoisans earn a living wage that allows them to afford housing in their community, without fear of eviction. When a housing crisis occurs, safety nets supports allow quick resolution to stabilize housing.
Four themes emerged as the pillars of the plan: Build Affordable & Permanent Supportive Housing, Bolster the Safety Net, Secure Financial Stability and Close the Mortality Gap.
A foundational goal of the plan is ending the racial disparity that exists in homelessness. Throughout the plan are activities that push forward reducing unacceptable racial inequities.
Office to Prevent and End Homelessness Brochure (pdf) (Not web accessible)
