Prior to 1980, homelessness in Illinois was addressed primarily by voluntary and not-for-profit groups, such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and Travelers and Immigrants Aid. Those and other community organizations and religious affiliates provided emergency food and lodging to people in need. However, they lacked the financial resources to meet the immediate needs of a growing homeless population and the long-term problems of homelessness. The implementation of the Illinois Emergency and Transitional Housing (E&TH) Program in 1983, in addition to a new focus on services and not just shelters, allowed for some of the long-term problems of homelessness to be addressed.
Passage of the Emergency Jobs and Humanitarian Act (P.L. 98-8) in March of 1983 established the first major source of public funding to states for food and shelter. The funding was divided equally between a national board and states nationwide, with Illinois receiving $2.5 million in the first year. Additional state and local funds were forthcoming, and the Illinois Department of Public Aid (IDPA) oversaw distribution of the funds and managed the program.
Program growth and expansion since 1983 reflects the State of Illinois' concern for the food and shelter needs of Illinois residents. Moreover, new programs to address broader needs including Supportive Housing, Homeless Prevention and the Homeless Tax Write-In Programs were added.
Emergency and Transitional Housing services consisted of emergency shelter and food assistance and limited ancillary services in the first years of the program. Over the years, services were expanded to include transitional shelter, and in Chicago warming centers and a toll-free homeless assistance hot line. Rehabilitation of facilities continued with funds from the Homeless Tax Write-In Program. The Homeless Prevention Program provides rent, utility and security deposit assistance (once in a 24-month period) to help a household maintain housing. Until fiscal year 2000, prevention services were funded in regions outside Chicago. At that time an appropriation of $1 million was made specifically for preventive services.
On August 18, 1993, House Bill 267 was signed into law to provide state-funded supportive services for low-income families and individuals who are formerly homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The supportive services include alcohol and substance abuse counseling, mental health programs, transportation, childcare, case management and other services needed by residents of transitional facilities, single room occupancy (SRO) facilities and family developments. The services are delivered by governmental units, community organizations and not-for-profit agencies that operate housing developments.
The Department of Public Aid worked with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to implement a pilot of the initiative in fiscal year 1994. Funding for the pilot was $200,000. The departments of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse joined the IDPA and the IHDA to ensure coordinated delivery of services. The initiative became part of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program until fiscal year 1999 when it was established as the Supportive Housing Program (SHP).
In 1997, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) was formed and the Office of Child Care and Family Services, Bureau of Homeless Services became part of the new state agency. The Homeless Prevention Act was enacted in 1999 to expand programs for persons or households at risk of homelessness and in 2000, IDHS became the lead provider for homeless prevention programs in Illinois. The Bureau of Housing and Supportive Services administers the Homeless Prevention Program. Bureau staff perform the fiscal, programmatic and monitoring functions related to the administration of funds. In addition, they act as liaisons to each Continuum of Care, which serve individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
In Illinois, Continuum of Care systems have been formed on the local level to deal effectively with the problems of homelessness through a comprehensive system of housing and services, from emergency shelters to permanent housing. The Continuum of Care systems were developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a strategy to help communities develop seamless systems which assist individuals and families in achieving independent living. Within Illinois, there are nineteen (19) regional Continuum of Care organizations across the state to fulfill the great need for homeless services and homeless prevention which affect so many communities. All agencies are strongly encouraged to participate in their local Continuum of Care system. An additional benefit of participation in the local Continuum of Care system includes access to state funding for prevention programs.
In September, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed an Executive Order 2021-21, creating the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness, Community Advisory Council and the position of Chief Homelessness Officer. The purpose of the Illinois Interagency was to develop a state plan to address homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization with the goals of achieving "functional zero" of homelessness, improving health and human services outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, and strengthening the safety nets that contribute to housing stability.
The Community Advisory Council on Homelessness functions to advise the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness on its mission to achieve "functional zero" of homelessness in the State of Illinois.
In 2022, the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness introduced Home Illinois: Illinois' Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Illinois first ever plan to address homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization on the State of Illinois. This was a two-year plan laying the groundwork and framework for preventing and ending homelessness in the State of Illinois.
To further advance the work of the Executive Order on July 26, 2023 Governor JB Pritzker signed HB281 codifying the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness, the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness and the permanency of the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH). HB2831 codified as Public Act 103-0269.
In fiscal year 2024 the Illinois General Assembly passed an historic state budget which increased funding for homeless services by $200 million through sustainable General Revenue Funding and in fiscal year 2025, we celebrated another $90 million increase to the Home Illinois budget, bringing the total to $290 million which included significant increases to the programs noted above.
