Effectively addressing homelessness requires our community to do more than solve individual crises. We have to build deeply connected systems of care with the whole person in mind. In many communities, physical health, mental health, behavioral health and homeless services function as mostly isolated systems of support, leaving people to figure out how to navigate […]
Josh Sabo
Josh Sabo is executive director of Heartland HOUSED, which serves as the backbone organization tasked with developing strategy, supporting implementation activities and facilitating the collaborative work of the Heartland Continuum of Care with the purpose of effectively addressing homelessness in Sangamon County.
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
A better way forward for youth experiencing homelessness
“Every little thing I did, I felt like I was in their way, even breathing.” This statement, shared during a focus group by a young person in our community without stable housing who relied on relatives and acquaintances for a place to stay, highlights the emotional toll youth face as they try to meet their […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Are we making progress on efforts to address homelessness?
In 2020, our community began to take tangible steps to evaluate gaps in services to address homelessness and chart a new way forward. Community leaders, service providers, people with lived experience of homelessness and community members gave input about challenges related to homelessness and shared their hopes for what could be. The result was the […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
We can build a mental health system we can all count on
For most of us in Sangamon County, gaps in mental health services are felt in deeply personal ways. A recent survey of every census tract in our community found that four in 10 of our neighbors have had an unmet mental health need in the last three years. While a decade of assessments has warned […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Improving housing stability benefits our community
Safe and stable housing creates the foundation that every person in our community needs to thrive, live a healthy life and reach their goals. As achieving stable housing grows difficult so too does the number of our neighbors forced to spend their energy in survival mode each day trying to figure out where and how […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
The high cost of homelessness
Partners working throughout Springfield and Sangamon County to address homelessness do so for a variety of reasons. The overwhelming motivation is compassion and concern for those in our community facing incredible hardships. Compassion and empathy are crucial elements of work that involves walking alongside neighbors who have endured trauma and helping them pursue stability and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
City, county and Capital Township support fuels homeless system successes
In 2004, a community strategic planning effort resulted in the development of the 10-Year Strategic Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, 2004-2014. The plan placed a strong emphasis on coordination efforts but little infrastructure was built following the plan’s completion to ensure its goals could be met. Sixteen years later, in 2020, a full-time coordinator for […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Heartland HOUSED expands community outreach efforts
We all benefit from support systems that help us navigate life’s challenges and difficulties. At times, that support may come from a family member, mentor or teacher who guides us and helps us grow. In other seasons, it might take the form of a loan, a public benefit or advice on how to handle a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Reducing homelessness, improving health: How supportive housing can build a stronger community
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Building a path forward: Tackling homelessness together
A recent report titled “State of Homelessness” from the National Alliance to End Homelessness reveals a challenging reality: the number of people experiencing homelessness in America reached an all-time high in 2023. Based on nationwide Point-in-Time counts, the report highlights a 12.1% increase in homelessness from the previous year. Further, between 2019 and 2023, there […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Solving homelessness requires person-specific, real-time data
If you talk to 10 different people about the state of homelessness in Springfield, you are likely to get 10 different answers. There are many reasons for this. Homelessness is complex and can be difficult to clearly define. Cultural assumptions around homelessness often lead to broad generalizations about people and their housing status and publicly […]
Posted inArts & Culture
100 Day Challenge results in 29 entering supportive housing
Is it possible to support individuals who have experienced years of homelessness in connecting to permanent housing opportunities? What about those who are reluctant to engage services for a variety of reasons and are deemed to be the hardest to house? A recent Heartland Continuum of Care effort saw 29 individuals with a history of […]
