Chicago Coalition To End Homelessness

Law: Educational Rights - The Law Project provides free legal assistance to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Through the Educational Rights Initiative, Law Project staff help students with enrollment, fee waivers, transportation access, and other school-based needs. Staff also help unaccompanied college students access financial aid. CCH advocates to improve school policies and increase resources for unstably housed students and manages a college scholarship program for students impacted by homelessness.

Bring Chicago Home - Since 2018, CCH has been a lead partner of Bring Chicago Home (BCH), which unites community organizations, elected officials, and people impacted by homelessness. Together, we advocate to establish a dedicated revenue stream to create permanent housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness in Chicago.

Law: Youth Futures - CCHs legal aid program, the Law Project, runs Youth Futures, a mobile clinic for youth ages 14-24. Youth Futures helps young people with pressing legal needs, including access to housing, health care, education, and public benefits.

Housing Policy and Advocacy - CCH advocates for the development of permanent supportive housing for households experiencing homelessness and equitable budgeting for housing, shelters, and human services in Chicago and across Illinois. We also conduct an annual estimate of Chicagoans experiencing homelessness, which is frequently cited by housing organizations, elected officials, and local and national news media.

State Network & Legislative Agenda - Our State Network mobilizes a table of 30+ housing providers, homeless agencies, and Continuums of Care in suburban and downstate communities that are focused on equitable budgeting and improvements to Illinois housing programs and policies. CCH and partners work to implement an annual legislative agenda that advances statewide policy solutions for housing, education, public benefits, and other issues relevant to people impacted by poverty.

Law: Civil Rights - People who experience homelessness are often discriminated against and criminalized. Through advocacy, outreach, and impact litigation, CCH works to protect the civil rights of people experiencing homelessness, including the right to access public spaces, the right to privacy of personal property, and the right to vote, among many others.

Community Education & Awareness - CCH organizers and legal staff provide broad community outreach at schools, shelters, drop-in centers, housing programs, and encampments. Through outreach, we educate people impacted by homelessness on their rights and options, connect them to resources and legal assistance, and engage those interested in joining our advocacy efforts. We write and distribute 20+ types of know-your-rights materials covering topics relevant to people experiencing homelessness and provide free trainings to service providers, school staff, and attorneys.

Reentry Project - The Reentry Project focuses on legislative reforms for fair reentry practices, increased access to housing and employment, and the provision of comprehensive support services for justice-involved individuals. Working with the Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois (RROCI), the project advocates to end housing and job barriers, enacting ten laws since 2015.

Youth Committee & Engagement - CCH mobilizes the Homeless Youth Committee, a statewide advocacy table focused on policy solutions for young people experiencing homelessness. CCH fosters youth leadership by educating unaccompanied youth on housing and homelessness issues and helping them develop new skills such as public speaking and lobbying.

Speakers Bureau - Led by CCH grassroots leaders, our Speakers Bureau reaches about 2,000 people a year at events hosted by schools, universities, and civic groups. Speakers educate community members on homelessness by sharing their own experiences and providing opportunities to engage with CCH advocacy efforts.

Streetlight Chicago - Streetlight Chicago is a free app and website that connects unstably housed young people to resources, including shelter, food, and health care. It is available online at www.streetlightchicago.org and can be downloaded on Apple and Android.

Racial Equity Committee - The Racial Equity Committee (REC) works to implement, support, and advance equity and racial justice both internally and externally to CCH. Priority areas include hiring and compensation, policymaking, staff engagement through racial caucusing, and equitable evaluation of programs and campaigns.

Horizons - Organizers offer creative writing workshops to individuals and families staying at shelters across Chicago. Through the Horizons program, participants develop story-telling skills while fostering self-expression and community connection.

Small Shelter Fund - The Small Shelter Fund administers pass-through grants for small Chicago shelters, supported by an anonymous funder.