December 2, 2011

Mayor Emanuel Joins Homeless Advocates to Announce the Revitalization of Chicago's Plan to End Homelessness

Plan 2.0 will reflect evaluation findings, best practices and evolving needs of homeless; new youth shelter and adult day program also announced

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Today, Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness to announce efforts to recalibrate Chicago’s Plan to End Homelessness.  Plan 2.0, to be unveiled in spring 2012, will present stakeholders with a research-driven strategy that will enable Chicago to effectively deploy resources that provide the greatest impact in preventing and ending homelessness.

“Chicago’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness has made great strides in creating a homelessness infrastructure that serves to help our most vulnerable residents regain self-sufficiency and stability,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “But there is still much work to do.  Plan 2.0 will build on current achievements while addressing the evolving needs of our homeless residents to provide a more effective strategy for combatting homelessness.”

Based on the findings of a Loyola University and University of Chicago evaluation of the current Plan, Plan 2.0 will focus on priority areas including:

  • homeless system entry points and prevention;
  • interim housing and rapid rehousing;
  • permanent housing; youth homelessness;
  • employment; and
  • systems integration.

The development of Plan 2.0 will be led by a steering committee that includes 14 leading stakeholders in Chicago’s homeless services system, including the City of Chicago, the Chicago Planning Council on Homelessness, Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, former homeless services clients, service providers and funders.

The development of Plan 2.0 has been made possible by the City of Chicago, the Pierce Family Foundation and Polk Bros. Foundation.

Mayor Emanuel also announced that through the 2012 budget the city will support new initiatives to help meet the needs of homeless residents which include:

  • A second low-threshold youth shelter that will provide twenty beds for young people aged 18 to 24; and
  • A day program for chronically homeless adults, offering an array of supportive services such as employment training and mental health counseling to help individuals gain greater stability and self-reliance.

Entering its tenth year, Chicago’s Plan to End Homelessness has made significant gains in preventing homelessness, reducing chronic homelessness and expanding the city’s stock of permanent supportive housing.   Since its inception in 2002, the Plan has supported homeless residents’ expeditious transition from the street to shelter; doubled Chicago’s stock of permanent supportive housing; and transformed the shelter system focus from overnight shelter to interim and permanent housing with wrap around supportive services that help clients achieve permanent independence.

 

 

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