Joint Meeting of the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness & the Illinois Community Advisory Council on Homelessness
June 10, 2025
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM - (In Person Meeting)
Agenda
- Welcome & Introductions, Chief Haley
- Opening Presentation, Chief Haley
- Panel Discussion: Collaborating Across State Agencies and the Community to End Homelessness, Emily Krisciunas moderating
- Public Comment - Q&A
- Closing
In Person:
Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel and Conference Center, O'Hare II-III
5440 North River Road Rosemont, IL 60018
Minutes:
Morning Plenary Session
Interagency Task Force on Homelessness Members Present:
Director Delrice Adams, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
Executive Director Kristin Faust, Illinois Housing Development Authority
Chief Christine Haley, Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness
Senator Adriane Johnson, Senator 30th District
Director Mary Killough, Illinois Department on Aging
Director Terry Prince, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Director Sameer Vohra, Illinois Department of Public Health
Director Lizzy Whitehorn, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Kate Ulmer, Illinois State Board of Education
Agency Representatives Present:
John Cheney Egan, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Ashley Lewis, Illinois State Board of Education
Richard Rowe, Illinois Department of Corrections
John Schomberg, Illinois Department of Human Services
Carrie Thomas, Illinois Department of Economic Security
Community Advisory Council on Homelessness members present:
Otha Gaston, SHPA Lived Experience Leader
Chief Christine Haley, Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness
John Herring, Illinois Network for Centers of Independent Living Representative of Disability Community
Jennifer Hill, Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County
Niya Kelly, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness
Emily Krisciunas, Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness
Ron Lund, Project Now
April Redzic, DuPagePads
Susan Reyna-Guerrero, Covenant House
Carolyn Ross, All Chicago
Angie Walker, City of Rockford
Monique Williams, Supportive Housing Providers Association
Nicole Wilson, Heart of Illinois United Way
Welcome & Opening Remarks:
Chief Homelessness Officer Christine Haley opened the session by welcoming attendees and reaffirming the state's strong commitment to ending homelessness. She highlighted the important roles of both the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness, recognizing their shared efforts and introducing members of both groups present at the meeting.
Welcoming Message:
Governor JB Pritzker welcomed attendees to day two of the Third Home Illinois Summit via a video message, expressing gratitude to all participants from those with lived experience to providers, advocates, and public officials for their critical work in addressing homelessness. He affirmed that housing is a human right, regardless of income, background, or life circumstances. The Governor acknowledged systemic inequities, high housing costs, and gaps in the safety net as drivers of homelessness. He emphasized the state's commitment to making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring and expressed support for the ongoing work of the Home Illinois initiative. He closed by thanking attendees for their partnership in building a future where all Illinoisans have a place to call home.
Pre-Panel Discussion Remarks:
Before the panel discussion, Chief Haley noted that we are halfway through the Home Illinois Plan, which contains over 125 commitments from State leaders, and she highlighted the significant progress made over the past year.
- Accomplishments included:
- Shelter capital releases
- Programs supporting unsheltered homeless individuals
- Improved access for homeless college students
- Release of the state's first Mortality and Morbidity Report on homelessness
- Creation of a new Office of Housing Stability within the Department of Human Services
- Launch of workforce pilot programs targeting homelessness
- One System Initiative was emphasized, aiming to unify homeless services across the homeless and migrant shelter systems.
- The recently passed state budget allocated over $500 million toward homelessness programs.
- A communications campaign was to address systemic housing barriers, featuring billboards with messages such as "Full-time job should be full-time housing," along with radio spots and social media outreach.
Looking ahead, the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness will focus on:
- Launching the Illinois Homelessness Response Collaborative which will be
- Building resilient community response systems
- Enhancing data quality and use
- Stabilize and secure resources
Panel Discussion
The panel discussion brought together leaders from state agencies and community organizations to share strategies and challenges related to cross-sector collaboration in addressing homelessness across Illinois. Moderator Emily Krisciunas facilitated the conversation, setting the tone with a focus on shared responsibility and the urgency of aligning systems to support long-term housing stability.
Title: Collaborating Across State Agencies and the Community to End Homelessness
Moderator:
* Emily Krisciunas, Executive Director, Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness
Panelists:
- Jennifer Hill, Executive Director, Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County
- Kristin Faust, Executive Director, Illinois Housing Development Authority
- Lizzy Whitehorn, Director, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
- Monique Williams, Illinois Coordinator, Northern Region & Training and Technical Assistance Program Manager, Supportive Housing Providers Association
- Dr. Sameer Vohra, Director, Illinois Department of Public Health
- Jennifer Hill spoke about the role of the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness in informing state policy. She highlighted key contributions like the Black Homelessness Report and Mortality Report and emphasized how Home Illinois funding supports rural homelessness programs and direct cash assistance. She shared concerns about proposed federal funding cuts, especially to Medicaid and housing vouchers, warning that these could seriously undermine programs like Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). Ms. Hill urged continued advocacy to protect vital housing resources.
- Monique Williams shared that communities are feeling anxious and uncertain. She encouraged providers to stay committed, grounded, and hopeful despite these challenges. Williams stressed the need for capacity building, best practices, and peer support. On self-care, she urged leaders to lean on each other, create safe spaces, and show empathy. She also called for more cross-sector conversations to build understanding and trust.
- Director Vohra emphasized that housing is essential for health. He noted that people experiencing homelessness have a 20-year shorter life expectancy and face higher rates of violence and weather-related deaths. Vohra said public health agencies must work across sectors, using existing programs like HIV and substance use services to support people without housing. He called homelessness a public health crisis and stressed the need for shared leadership and action.
- Director Faust discussed IHDA's work to keep people housed. During COVID, the agency provided $1.4 billion in rental and mortgage assistance, helping 164,000 people. Recent court-based rental aid supported 7,000 tenants, with over 80% remaining in their homes. Faust said housing must be seen as a continuum from prevention to stability and that IHDA is focused on lowering costs while ensuring quality housing.
- Director Whitehorn proposed Medicaid cuts would have serious consequences for Illinois. She noted that 3.5 million people rely on Medicaid, including 70% of those in long-term care. Cuts would reduce federal support and increase the uninsured rate. Whitehorn urged action to protect Medicaid and shared that the "Save Medicaid" toolkit is available online. She also highlighted work aligning Medicaid services with housing efforts, including behavioral health and rental assistance through the 1115 waiver.
Closing
The panel closed with reflections on partnerships and the role of philanthropy. Ms. Hill called for narrative change and deeper community engagement. Ms. Williams stressed the need to create inclusive, safe spaces for dialogue. Director Vohra highlighted the importance of coordinated leadership and turning ideas into action. Director Faust stated Home Illinois has helped shape a broader understanding of housing as a shared responsibility. Director Whitehorn noted agencies must stay flexible and collaborative to adapt to changing needs.
The panel discussion concluded with moderator Ms. Krisciunas thanking the panelists for their insights, followed by Chief Haley expressing her gratitude to the members of the Task Force and Community Advisory Council.
