For those experiencing homelessness, every day can feel like a struggle for survival. In the face of each day’s uncertainty, one of the few constants is difficulty. Every turn poses complications that create barriers to accessing life’s basic needs and the stability and safety people long for. Local organizations and advocates work to provide some level of support, but at the end of the day, the difficulties remain for most.
A recent report, Illinois Homelessness Morbidity and Mortality Report 2017-2022, prepared by the Illinois Department of Public Health in partnership with the University of Chicago School of Public Health, paints a stark picture of just how difficult the experience of homelessness can be. According to the study, the average age at the time of death for individuals experiencing homelessness is nearly 20 years younger than that of the general population. This significant gap in life expectancy highlights the harsh reality that each day for a person experiencing homelessness truly is a fight for survival.
If you spend time talking to staff or volunteers connected to local organizations and efforts working to provide support for people experiencing homelessness, it often doesn’t take long to hear a story of tragic loss involving someone they worked with and cared deeply about. These relationships go deeper than the stigma and broad generalizations often used to characterize people without housing, and they often serve as a vital touch of humanity that works to connect people to services and housing – foundational foundational elements to rebuilding their lives and thriving. Working at the speed of trust and as resources allow, dedicated and diligent efforts go into providing the care and guidance necessary to assist people in entering supportive housing.
As we reflect on the reality that homelessness is a matter of life and death for our neighbors experiencing it, it’s also important for us to acknowledge that it doesn’t have to be this way. Homelessness is solvable. As a community, we can create more programs and supports necessary to help our neighbors exit homelessness and enter housing more quickly.
In 2019, the Heartland Continuum of Care was able to support 94 people in supportive housing opportunities that paired rental assistance with case management to support them as they pursued housing stability. In 2024, that number surpassed 300 for the first time in our community’s history, with 308 people being supported in housing. Based on projections from our strategic plan, we hope to increase that number to more than 700 by 2028, with the ultimate goal of making homelessness rare and brief in Springfield and Sangamon County.
While our community has experienced significant growth, more is needed. A recent needs assessment completed by the Heartland Continuum of Care showed that as of Jan. 1, there were 341 households experiencing homelessness on the Coordinated Entry list for Springfield/Sangamon County. When accounting for funding that comes from the state and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there is an annual gap of more than $3.5 million to fund the case management staff and necessary rental subsidies to reach the goals that our community has set.
This gap in funding is significant, but it is not impossible to overcome for a community such as ours. As our Crisis Response System has grown and improved, so have our opportunities to secure additional funding. For example, over the past five years, we have seen our HUD funding increase by more than $250,000 annually. The community’s support in establishing Heartland HOUSED as a nonprofit and lead agency for the Heartland Continuum of Care has made it possible to pursue growth initiatives such as Community Solutions’ Built for Zero Technical Assistance, Medical Respite Care Capacity Building, developing the Heartland Housing Helpline, and expanding Street Outreach efforts.
The reality is that all communities spend money responding to homelessness – whether through funding shelters and services, responding to community concerns or through the use of public services. The Illinois Homelessness Morbidity and Mortality Report 2017-2022 calculated that more than $16 billion was spent in the state on hospital services for people experiencing homelessness during the study period. While some of those services were unavoidable, the report demonstrates a proven correlation between stable housing and improved health, which in turn reduces hospital visits.
The question, then, is how can we work together best to solve homelessness instead of simply responding to it?
When we move upstream from reactionary responses and build a system focused on making homelessness rare and brief, we can create a community that experiences less difficulty, less suffering and better health, offering hope and opportunities for everyone. A better, stronger and healthier community is within our reach.
Josh Sabo is the executive director of Heartland HOUSED.
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