05/31/2012

Chicago Housing Authority Making Strides in the Windy City

The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) understands that creating successful housing interventions for vulnerable populations is one of the greatest roles they can play in making Chicago a stable and healthy place to live. CHA has worked with partners to help craft a supportive housing plan that includes strategies to serve high-need homeless populations and create housing alternatives for CHA residents who put themselves at-risk of homelessness because of clinical or behavioral challenges that impact their housing stability.

As part of this strategy, CHA has modified its administrative plan to require only the minimum federal criminal background standards for applicants to supportive housing developments.  Other creative updates to its administrative plan have allowed CHA to enter into supportive housing pilots and initiatives including “supportive housing graduations” to Housing Choice Vouchers in order to create space in site-based supportive housing for new residents who need more intensive services.

In addition, CHA is working with the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), and the Department of Housing and Economic Development (DHED) to create a coordinated supportive housing platform to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable homeless individuals as laid out in Chicago’s Plan to End Homelessness.

CHA has also endorsed the creation of a citywide entrance criteria and assessment tool for all supportive housing programs and is implementing a newly created central referral system that will generate referrals for CHA supportive housing for homeless individuals and families.

We applaud CHA for the incredible steps it’s making to integrate supportive housing in a way that works for residents and the community as a whole.

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