As we are now less than a week from a second Trump administration, the arrival of the annual Point-in-Time-Count of unsheltered individuals in suburban Cook County is especially relevant. Federal support of housing initiatives for the unhoused has been strong during the Biden administration. There have also been considerable federal funds available through COVID relief efforts. Locally, the last of that money is about to be spent.
Housing support is one of those critical intersections where federal support and local solutions meet. If federal support withers under a Trump administration, the ability to bring innovative and lasting solutions to those in need will suffer greatly.
In our area, the leading provider of housing solutions across the continuum, from an overnight shelter to varieties of lasting support, is Housing Forward. Lynda Schueler, executive director, believes the increase in the unhoused in our communities is greater than the overnight count from last January captured in the wider Cook area. She pegs an increase of 18%, year over year, for Housing Forward’s service area, higher than the 12.5% increase reflected in the full suburban Cook region. That 18% would align with the reported increase in the unhoused nationally.
We are fortunate to have an organization as resourceful as Housing Forward doing this work for our communities, and the effort benefits from community leaders who actively support their work. Challenging days ahead.