Gov. Pritzker Announces $2 Million Investment in Springfield Homeless System

Governor J. B. Pritzker
Governor J. B. Pritzker

Gov. Pritzker Announces $2 Million Investment in Springfield Homeless System

The funding will be distributed among community organizations in the capital area as part of the Home Illinois plan to prevent and end homelessness

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness announced $2 million in new investments for several community organizations in Springfield and the surrounding area to support local efforts to address and combat homelessness in Central Illinois. These investments from the Home Illinois grant exemplify the State’s commitment to reaching functional zero homelessness – a goal where the state prevents homelessness whenever possible and ensures that if homelessness does occur, it is brief, rare, and singular.

“Three years ago, we brought together the top housing and human services minds in the state of Illinois with a single goal in mind – an Illinois where homelessness is brief, rare, and non-reoccurring. From those conversations, we launched Home Illinois – our State’s first ever comprehensive plan to prevent and end homelessness through a unified, whole-of-government approach, and an understanding that ending homelessness requires actions as comprehensive as the issue itself,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Here in Springfield, we are meeting that charge – government partners, community organizations, everyday volunteers – standing up to ensure every Illinoisan has a safe place to rest at night.”

The $2 million investment from the State’s Home Illinois grant, housed at the Illinois Department of Human Services, will support permanent housing programs for people experiencing homelessness and local organizations including Fifth Street Renaissance, Helping Hands of Springfield, and Mercy Communities, Inc. Funding will be focused on the proven, permanent housing models of rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing.

From 2024 to 2025, homelessness decreased in over half of Illinois’s designated community areas and Sangamon County saw a 4% reduction in homelessness. These reductions are directly linked to the investments and strategies implemented in Home Illinois, and the continued investment and support will bolster the groundwork already underway. Over 11,000 formerly homeless Illinoisans are now housed in permanent housing because of Home Illinois.

“This investment shows what the Home Illinois Plan is all about: supporting communities with the resources and proven housing models that keep people safely housed. At a time when federal uncertainty threatens thousands of households nationwide, Illinois is choosing stability and evidence-based solutions,” said Christine Haley, State of Illinois Chief Homelessness Officer. “Springfield’s progress demonstrates that investing in permanent housing reduces homelessness, and this funding will help local partners continue that momentum.”

This announcement comes as the Trump Administration continues to unravel and undermine existing solutions already in place that are proven to work in combatting homelessness. Continuums of Care (CoCs) – the community areas designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and part of the largest federal housing program across the country are responsible for local homelessness policy, planning, and coordination, yet they remain under significant distress because of reckless nationwide policy changes by the federal government.

Under proposed federal changes, the CoC program would greatly reduce funding from over 80% for permanent housing programs, to only 30%. This would cause an estimated 7,500 Illinoisans to lose their housing subsidies and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, providers, and advocates anticipate an increase in unsheltered homelessness across the state because of the federal administration’s policy choices.

In November, the State of Illinois joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general and two state governors to file a lawsuit to halt HUD’s abrupt and illegal changes to the CoC program that will limit access to long-term housing and other services for tens of thousands of Americans experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. The uncertainty caused by the federal government leaves thousands of Illinois households in limbo.

“While federal shifts put permanent housing at risk across the country, Illinois is standing with partners who are driving real change. This $2 million investment strengthens the work of Springfield’s providers and reaffirms our commitment to strategies that we know reduce homelessness,” said Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Dulce M. Quintero. “We are proud to stand with our communities as we work together to ensure people across Illinois have the housing and support they deserve.”

Home Illinois is the state’s strategic vision and plan to drive investments and policy toward preventing and ending homelessness across the state. The plan is organized around building affordable and permanent supportive housing, bolstering safety nets, securing financial stability, and closing the mortality gap between people experiencing homelessness and the general population. A foundational goal underlying all strategies is ending the racial disparity that exists in homelessness.

While efforts in Illinois’ capital and its surrounding area are strong, this investment will bolster the groundwork already underway. The State is proud to continue these investments for Illinoisans and for those who work tirelessly to support people experiencing homelessness.

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