Housing is more than shelter. It is a foundation for health, education, economic stability, and community well-being.

On May 8, 2026, United Way of Metro Chicago’s “The State of the Social Safety Net” virtual conversation, moderated by United Way’s Jessica Lucas, explored the local impacts of the national housing crisis. Panelists Amber S. Hendley of the Chicago Bungalow Association, Carolyn K. Ross of All Chicago Making Homelessness History, and Jung Yoon of the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office, shared how housing instability affects neighborhoods across Chicago — and why strong, coordinated systems are essential to helping residents stay housed and thrive.

The data shows urgent and widespread need:

  • More than 58,000 people experienced homelessness in Chicago in 2024, according to a recent report from Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness.
  • Nearly 18,000 people are currently in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) in Chicago. These residents are actively seeking housing support.
  • In April 2026, housing-related requests to the 211 Metro Chicago helpline increased 56%, year over year.

Chicago’s Housing Crisis: Shaped by History and Systems

Today’s housing challenges did not emerge overnight and are rooted in long-standing systems of segregation, disinvestment, and exclusion that have shaped who has access to stable housing and who does not, explained Amber S. Hendley, Researcher-in-Residence at the Chicago Bungalow Association.

“We are not looking at isolated issues, we are looking at the long-term consequences of systems that were designed to produce unequal outcomes across geography,” Amber said.

That history still shows up in present-day outcomes, from rent burden and displacement to the uneven conditions many families face across the city. “The inequities we are seeing today are structural, cumulative, and interconnected,” Amber said. “Once we recognize that these conditions were created through policy and systems, we can also recognize that they can be changed through policy and systems.”

Working Together to Meet the Need

A coordinated response to addressing housing insecurity and homelessness is critical. Collaborative systems, including Continuums of Care, reduce barriers and streamline resources through crisis response, reentry supports, and affordable housing pathways — all through a “housing first” lens. People are better able to manage work, health, and family needs when they have a safe and stable place to live.

“We have wonderful partners who have provided the provision of these services to ensure that we are not doing this work in silos, that we are making sure we are working together,” said Carolyn K. Ross, President & CEO of All Chicago Making Homelessness History. “The one mantra that we live by: we cannot do this work alone. It’s partnership, partnership, collaboration, collaboration.”

This collective response includes not just building more affordable housing, but also preserving existing homes, enforcing tenant protections, providing legal support during eviction, and employing anti-displacement strategies, explained Jung Yoon, Chief of Policy for the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office.

“These tools are not separate efforts, they’re interlocking components of a comprehensive housing strategy for Chicago that ensures residents can stay rooted in their communities while benefiting from new investment,” Jung said.

Local initiatives also combine bold policy ideas, like the City of Chicago’s Green Social Housing model, with neighborhood-driven solutions, including resident-led development and the reclamation of vacant land for community benefit.

“Get to know your neighbors and organize within your community,” Jung said. “It’s easy to other people, and we need to invite people in and understand everyone’s lived experience so that we can craft innovative solutions that really meet people where they’re at.”

Block by block, residents are organizing, sharing resources, and creating solutions that reflect local realities. That kind of trust-based, community-informed work is essential to building a housing system that is more stable and more responsive.

“People have solutions that they are bringing to the table and bridging [funding] gaps,” Amber said. “Find out what is already happening on the ground . . . That is what we have found to be the most effective. People are already solving their own problems, talking to one another, and bridging gaps.”

If you or someone you know needs help, 211 Metro Chicago connects residents to housing support and other essential resources. Call, text, or web chat with a local Resource Navigator today at 211MetroChicago.org.

Banner photo provided by Housing Forward.

Watch the event recording below: