Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

The Alliance acts as an umbrella organization for three Community Based Service Areas (CBSAs) in the north, west, and south regions of suburban Cook County. Each CBSA meets monthly to build partnerships and engage local stakeholders. Each area offers a variety of services and housing options to homeless families and individuals. These grassroots networks come together as the Alliance to plan for a countywide strategy to end homelessness.

In coordinating the annual application to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for homeless assistance grants, the Alliance brings in approximately $19 million per year to support over forty homeless programs in the region. The Alliance is responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of these programs, building their capacity, planning for future programs, and recommending funding priorities to HUD. By linking our project review process directly to our strategic planning goals, the Alliance plays a critical role in serving the priority needs of homeless individuals and families in suburban Cook County.

As we evaluate new and existing programs' effectiveness in ending homelessness, we rely heavily on data from a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Implementing HMIS is a federal requirement for every Continuum of Care, but more importantly, it offers us an opportunity to document homeless needs, pinpoint how well our programs address them, and identify where we can improve. The Alliance collects point-in-time homeless data each year, and every other year, we conduct a full sheltered and unsheltered homeless count. These data are critical to setting priorities for future funding and informing our strategic planning efforts.