Inclusive Economy Lab Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot
Stable housing allows people to live with dignity. It also provides the foundational stability necessary to access economic opportunities, keep children engaged in school, and promote healthy development.
For the past five years, the Inclusive Economy Lab (IEL) has partnered with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, All Chicago Making Homelessness History, Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services, and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless to learn more about how to better support Chicagoans who seek short-term help to stay stably housed. Focusing on people who call Chicago’s Homelessness Prevention Call Center (HPCC), which screens and refers callers to various local cash or rental assistance programs, this research-practice partnership is expanding our understanding of the positive effects of short-term cash assistance and referrals to case managers – even when funds are not available. It is also identifying opportunities for improving the client experience to help ensure that callers are connected to appropriate resources as quickly as possible.
Read our latest key findings from the pilot as well as an overview of some of the ways that our partners are using these insights to improve and expand access to these critically important supports below.
