On a single night in 2022, about 18 of every 10,000 people in the United States experienced homelessness.
Six in 10 people experiencing homelessness were staying in sheltered locations, and four in 10 were unsheltered, that is, staying in a place not meant for human habitation.
That's according tothe U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Annual Homelessness Assessment Report.
Additionally, the pandemic made it more difficult to get an accurate count in recent years.
Housing insecurity affects all parts of a community, from the local economy to the education system.
The new Illinois state budget includes an initiative to address homelessness. The budget includes more than $360 million into the effort, an $85 million increase over the previous year. "Home Illinois" will include prevention programs, street outreach and more temporary housing.
The goal is to reach "Functional Zero" as a state. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says more than 120,000 Illinoisans experience homelessness each year.
Meanwhile, tracking just how many people face housing insecurity varies across the state, according to a new studyfrom the University of Illinois.
Why are we doing this story now?
In 2015 and 2017, Rockford, Illinois became the first city in the nation to reach “Functional Zero” for its veteran and chronically homeless populations, respectively.
"Functional zero"is a term used to describe when a community has measurably solved homelessness for a population.
We were curious if those strides remained over the past several years which also included national fluctuations in housing due to the pandemic.
The point-in-time numbers are a snapshot, but the city of Rockford actually relies more on real time numbers.
Angie Walker is the Homeless Program Coordinator. She says using that data, the city works as a hub with community partners using something known as a "collective impact model."
She says that involves going through a list of known families or individuals facing housing insecurity.
"We literally say, 'They're in this housing situation— how can we get them housed? What are the barriers they're facing? How can we overcome those barriers?' By doing that, the entire team becomes responsible for that family and ensuring that they get housed," Walker said.
She says quality housing inventory is also a challenge right now. She says in the current market, landlords are becoming more choosy and increasing prices. What inventory does remain at a more affordable price point tends to be older.
Our team set out to get a clearer picture of housing security in Winnebago County and solutions to address gaps in providing permanent shelter.
Stories and Interviews
These stories will air during Morning Edition and All Things Considered the week of June 12th, 2023.
A word about definitions
For federal purposes of tracking, the term "homeless" is used to get an accurate count of people's situation within distinct categories such as:
Literally Homeless
Imminent Risk of Homelessness
Homeless Under Other Federal Statutes
Fleeing/Attempting to Flee Domestic Violence
According to the nonprofit social service organization Blanchet House, the term housing insecurity "most completely describes the varied experiences and challenges of people who are homeless/houseless as well as those who are at risk of becoming so. Using this terminology emphasizes the factors that contribute to a person’s homelessness/houselessness."
In reference to tracking federal numbers related to individuals, we will use the term "homeless" in some cases, but you will also hear a number of other terms that best humanize a person's individual experience related to housing.
Who tracks these numbers in Illinois and what does it look like?
The Point-in-Time count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered
people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that Continuums of Care (known as CoC's) which are regional designations within the state conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night.
Here are what the numbers looks like for the region that includes the city of Rockford.
This graphic shows where the northern Illinois region compares with other areas of the state.
There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of specific categories that have been added in recent years to better pinpoint populations experiencing housing insecurity.
The graphic below shows the spike in specific categories that are now tracked. For example—In 2008, the Point In Time estimates had a category for "Overall Homeless Veterans" with subcategories of "sheltered and unsheltered." By 2022, the categories were further broken down to include veterans by age, race, and gender among others. You can see the increase in categories here.
Who are some of the local players working with people who face housing insecurity in Winnebago County?
Carpenter's Place Critical Needs List
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Illinois Housing Development Authority
Miss Carly's
Rockford Housing Authority
Rockford MELD
Rockford Rescue Mission
Salvation Army Rockford
Shelter Care Ministries (Jubilee Center)
Youth Services NetworkWhat do we hope people will take from this series?
We want to report on different perspectives related to this topic to show the complexities of getting accurate counts when it comes to housing security as well as the trickle effect throughout the community when people don’t have permanent housing. We also want to provide insight into which organizations are working to close the gaps in housing insecurity—what’s working and where the largest challenges remain.