Our Work

HOW marries the Housing First Model— which recognizes housing as the foremost factor in improving a client’s quality of life— with supportive case management and services to deter against sustained homelessness and housing insecurity.

We own and operate 62 units of housing in five buildings across Chicagoland— three in Rogers Park, one in South Shore, and one in Evanston. Our remaining units are scattered across the city.

Our Approach:

Clients typically arrive at HOW with a number of barriers to their success, including disabilities, chronic health conditions, mental illness, addiction, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, and more. Our three-pronged approach allows them to build long-term solutions to the obstacles that have undermined their independence.

Homelessness Prevention

Every year, over 2,500 individuals contact HOW looking for assistance in a housing crisis. We refer them to resources that can help them stay in their homes, find temporary shelter, or get added to Chicago’s Coordinated Entry System.

HOW also provides crisis case management to approximately 600 households annually who are in danger of losing their housing.

9c5a66_00a0d1dac178407aacfabb6ff84220b3~mv2.avif

Affordable Supportive Housing

HOW offers permanent supportive housing to individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness and/or those with a documented disability.

For individuals and families experiencing homelessness in response to a crisis, HOW offers short-term supportive housing for up to two years. Many clients successfully take over their lease at the end of the program.

Wraparound Support Services

When a client is accepted into HOW’s program, they begin working one-on-one with a case manager. Case managers assess barriers to success and focus on stabilizing clients’ health and wellness, developing skills and education, and supporting income and employment training. They also provide linkages to benefits applications; HOW’s Youth, Employment; or Health teams; and external supports.