Thanks to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund, Housing Action Illinois subgranted $25,000 to The Haven to support the agency’s work providing interim housing and emergency shelter.
In 2019, The Haven opened a new building, which includes two family rooms that can house up to seven people. The Haven also has a commercial kitchen, which allows it to serve three meals a day, representing 2,500 meals each month. The shelter remains open and staffed 24/7.
But since the state’s shelter-in-place order took effect, the Haven lost 85 percent of its volunteers, which make up 2/3 of its staffing. The agency also had to cancel what is typically its largest fundraiser of the year.
Thanks to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund, Housing Action Illinois was able to provide The Haven with a total of $25,000 through two subgrants—one for May and June, and the other for July and August—to help cover costs during the pandemic. The funding will help The Haven provide interim housing and emergency shelter to people experiencing homelessness or who are unstably housed.
In May and June, the funding helped the agency provide 1,400 shelter nights to twelve families—an average of 23 individuals per day, including at least 12 children. The Haven also served approximately 5,000 plates of food.
The Haven projects it will be able to assist 60 people with the funds in July and August.