People who are currently experiencing homelessness or have in the past were invited to share their thoughts about the services provided in Sangamon County at a March 22 focus group. It was organized by Jamie Riedle, system coordinator with the Heartland Continuum of Care, which oversees a Lived Experience Advisory Board. While Heartland Housed has held similar meetings in the past, this was the first one intended to get direct feedback from people navigating housing resources and shelters in Springfield.
Heartland Housed is the backbone organization of the Heartland Continuum of Care, and its mission is to foster partnerships and develop strategies aimed at reaching a functional zero homeless population, as outlined in the 2022-2028 Springfield and Sangamon County Strategic Plan. Functional zero means that within 30 days of someone becoming homeless, local resources will be utilized to find housing for them.
The first focus group conversation concerned issues with transportation and what it took to access resources through different homeless shelters.
“Communication among people who are supposed to be helping us has always been an issue,” said one woman accessing resources through Helping Hands. “We need to know what to expect, because we need to build our life around that.”
“A lot of people don’t understand what case managers go through,” said Ricky Reese, a member of the advisory board who was homeless until he obtained housing through Helping Hands of Springfield. He previously also worked as an employee at the shelter for two and a half years. “Case managers are dealing with way more cases than they can handle,” he said.
Yolanda McKinney, office administrator at Helping Hands and part of the Lived Experience Advisory Board, added, “So it’s not like you’re being a pest, but if you tell each shift, somebody’s going to get it done,” referring to the workers at Helping Hands.
The next topic Riedle introduced was the Coordinated Entry System.
“With coordinated entry in Sangamon County, we prioritize people who have had the longest length of time homeless and those with the most risks and barriers. We talk about health issues, we talk about mental issues and we talk about how often you feel unsafe where you’re staying,” she said.
Many attendees had heard of the Coordinated Entry System but didn’t know exactly what it was or how to access it.
“When a housing opportunity becomes available in our community, you’re referred based on your assessment score,” said Riedle, referring to the criteria of mental health, physical health and safety. “The reality is there are 340 people in our coordinated entry system, and we need to create 765 units of housing.” She explained, “It’s unit availability … that’s something we’re always working on.”
The first step of the 2022-2028 Strategic Plan to end homelessness, which was spearheaded by Heartland Housed in collaboration with the city of Springfield and Sangamon County, is to create 765 units of safe housing. This is a crucial step in reaching a functional zero homeless population. As specified in the Strategic Plan, 765 more housing units are needed not only for people who are unhoused today, but those who will become unhoused in the next five years.
Heartland Housed has created a Housing Task Force and works with landlords, Springfield Housing Authority and the Illinois State Referral Network to administer a Landlord Risk Mitigation fund. The fund helps mitigate various types of risks incurred by landlords participating in subsidy programs, such as offsetting the costs of damages to the rental unit, lost rent or legal fees.
The organization also works with developers seeking state and city funding for creating permanent supportive housing. One developer built 33 new housing units in 2023 that can now be accessed through the Coordinated Entry System.
Heartland Housed’s website, which includes a Built for Zero Community Dashboard, states: “At the heart of these efforts is the reality that people are not numbers … Success happens when people are known, cared for, met where they are, and connected with opportunities to access housing and other supports helpful to them.”
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One of the attendees asked where it was possible to get access to the Coordinated Entry System.
“Any of the shelters, so Helping Hands, Contact Ministries, Sojourn Shelter, MERCY Communities,” said Riedle, noting that the application can also be completed over the phone. “And then there are a couple of spots on the (Heartland Housed) website.”
At the end of the meeting, people who attended the focus group received gift cards. The next meeting, hosted by the members of the Lived Experience Advisory Board, is in the form of a support group for people experiencing homelessness. It will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 19, in the Bicentennial Room on the third floor of the Lincoln Library. Â
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2025.
