Resources to Prevent and End Homelessness

Housing Action Illinois does not provide direct assistance to people looking for affordable housing, but we hope that the following websites and resources might be of use.

For resources related to the COVID-19 public health crisis, please visit this page, which is being updated regularly and includes information on any rental assistance programs currently available.

Find resources by your region

City of Chicago
  • Chicago Homelessness Prevention Call Center: Dial 3-1-1 or 312-744-5000 and ask for “Short-Term Help.” (TTY Access is available for callers using specialized TTY equipment due to hearing problems: 312.948.6817.) The Call Center staff will assess your eligibility for financial assistance and other community resources, then refer you to partner agencies that can help. The Call Center is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Emergency Shelter: If you are in immediate need of emergency shelter in Chicago, call 3-1-1 to request transportation to a shelter.
  • Shelter Placement and Resource Center (SPARC): If you are a single adult seeking shelter, there is a 24/7 intake location called Shelter Placement and Resource Center (SPARC). The SPARC is a central place where single adults can be connected to shelter placement and receive interim basic services, such as food and overflow shelter. Space is available for up to 200 people waiting for shelter placement. Day and Overnight waiting areas are closed once capacity is reached, so we recommend calling ahead of time to check capacity before going. 3-1-1 Shelter Requests can still be made 24 hours a day with on-sire assistance regardless of capacity. The address is 2241 S Halsted St. in Chicago. Call 773-526-3707 to check for availability.
  • Chicago’s Coordinated Entry System: The Coordinated Entry System (CES) connects people who are experiencing homelessness to housing opportunities in Chicago. The CES uses a standardized housing assessment to understand the needs of households and follows a prioritization plan to refer youth, individuals, and families to housing. The assessment is available to all eligible persons. The Call Center phone number is 312-971-4178.  More info on accessing the Coordinated Entry System is available here.  Please note, this may or may not lead to a housing option and does not solve your immediate housing crisis.
  • StreetLight Chicago provides up-to-date information on shelters, health clinics, emergency beds, mental health services, and more. The website is geared for young adults in Chicago between the ages of 16 and 24 living with unstable housing. This is a project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and Young Invincibles.
  • More information, including how to seek assistance in-person, at All Chicago’s website.
Suburban Cook County
  • Entry Point is a way for people experiencing homelessness, or at risk of experiencing homelessness, to get the help they need.
    • Call: If you are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in suburban Cook County, call 1-877-426-6515. The call center hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • Learn more online at: http://myentrypoint.org/.
  • Access one page informational flyers in English, Spanish, Polish and Arabic.
DuPage County
  • To access homeless services, please call DuPage County centralized intake and referral, which operates from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Telephone – (630) 407-6500, (800) 942-9412, TDD (630) 407-6502.
  • After hours and on weekends/holidays, referrals for homeless services can be accessed by calling 211 in DuPage County.
  • More information: https://dupagehomeless.org/homeless/

Additional Resources

2-1-1 is available in many counties in Illinois. Call 2-1-1 for any non-emergency crisis, such as food, shelter, rent and utility assistance. People can also call for physical and mental health resources and employment support, as well as any need that impacts seniors, persons with disabilities, children, youth and/or families.

HUD Resource Locator: A map-based tool to connect with building managers, public housing authority representatives, and property management companies to inquire about housing availability and other housing-related questions

Illinois Legal Aid Online provides lower-income and vulnerable Illinois residents with information about their legal rights and responsibilities, referrals to free and low cost legal aid offices, multimedia training and education, and forms and instructions for representing themselves. They also run Legal Answers, a virtual walk-in clinic where you can get answers to your legal questions for free from volunteer attorneys.

Help Illinois Families Initiative is an initiative launched in June 2020 to help Illinois families access and afford home energy assistance and other essential services during COVID-19. Building on the State’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, the State’s Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 21) budget authorizes an expansion of the LIHEAP and CSBG programs for eligible Illinoisans seeking emergency assistance to cover costs of utility bills, rent, temporary shelter, food, and other household necessities.

Eviction Help Illinois provides free legal aid, mediation services, and connections to other resources including rental assistance to increase housing stability. Mediation is an opportunity for landlords and tenants to resolve issues the help of a knowledgeable and neutral person.

Local Contacts for People Experiencing or at Risk of Homelessness

Central Illinois
Counties: DeWitt, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Logan, Mason, Menard, McLean, Piatt, Vermilion

  • McLean County Hub: PATH Crisis Center – (309) 828-1022
  • Vermillion County Hub: Crosspoint Human Services – (217) 446-1217
  • Kankakee County Hub: The Salvation Army Kankakee – (815) 933-8421
  • Rural County clients may call 2-1-1

Champaign County
Call 211 or visit https://ccrpc.org/divisions/community_services/homeless_services.php

City of Chicago
Call 311 or visit www.allchicago.org/get-help

Kane County
Information and Referrals: (630) 232-3428
Rapid Rehousing and Other Resources: (630) 762 2068

Cook County
Suburban Cook County
Call Center: (877) 426-6515 or visit www.myentrypoint.org

Decatur/Macon County
24-hour hotline: (217) 619-5742
Dove, Inc., 788 E Clay Street, Decatur, IL 62521
(217) 362-7700 or outreach@doveinc.org
Mailing address: 302 S. Union, Decatur, IL 62522

DuPage County
DuPage County Information and Referral: (630) 407-6500. More information: https://dupagehomeless.org/homeless/.

Home for All
Counties: Peoria, Fulton, Tazewell, Woodford
Call 211 or (309) 999-4029. More information at https://www.hoiunitedway.org/heart-of-illinois-united-way-2-1-1/ and https://homeforallcoc.org/get-help/.

Heartland
Sangamon County
Call 211 or (888) 865-9903 or contact via text at TXT211 (898211). More info at https://www.pathcrisis.org.

Joliet/Will
Counties: Will, Kendall, Grundy

  • Will County Center for Community Concerns: 2455 Glenwood Ave, Joliet, Illinois 60435
    (815) 722-0722 (M – F, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
  • Daybreak Center: 611 East Cass Street; call (815) 774-4663 for appointments
  • Cornerstone Services Inc.: Call (815) 774-3245 for appointments
  • Trinity Services Inc.: Call (815) 485-5976 for appointments
  • Grundy Area PADS: Call (815) 942-6389 for appointments

Lake County
PADS Lake County: (847) 689-4357

Madison County
Madison County Community Development: (618) 296-5300

McHenry County
Call (815) 759-7133. More information at https://www.mchenrycountyhomeless.org.

Northwestern Illinois
Counties: Bureau, Carroll, Jo Daviess, Henry, Knox, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, Mercer, Ogle, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Stephenson, Whiteside
Project NOW: Ron Lund at (309) 793-6391, rlund@projectnow.org or Amy Dodd at (309) 793-6391, adodd@projectnow.org

Northern Illinois
Counties: Boone, DeKalb, Winnebago (including Rockford)
Homeless Hotline: (844) 710-6919 ext. 5

South Central Illinois
Counties: Calhoun, Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Jasper, Jersey, Macoupin, Montgomery, Moultrie, Shelby

  • Eastern Region Counties – Embarras River Basin Agency: (217) 923-3113
  • Central Region Counties – CEFS: (217) 342-2193
  • Western Region Counties – Illinois Valley Economic Development Corporation: (217) 839-4431

Southern Illinois
Counties: Alexander, Bond, Clinton, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Williamson
Use the HUD Resource Locator or visit https://sites.google.com/pcni.org/sicocn.

St. Clair County
Housing Resource Center: (618) 825-3330

West Central Illinois
Counties: Adams, Brown, Cass, Hancock, Henderson, McDonough, Morgan, Pike, Schuyler, Scott, Warren
Tammi Lonergan, MCS Community Services: (217) 243-9404 or tlonergan@morgancounty-il.com

map of homeless service provider areas in Illinois

Housing Action Illinois
67 E. Madison Street, Suite 1603
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 939-6074 • info@housingactionil.org