CHICAGO — This morning, a gathering of state leaders, people with lived expertise, elected officials, service providers, and philanthropists commemorated the fifth anniversary of Executive Order 2021‑21, which established the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness, the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness, and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH). The event also marked the formal release of the Home Illinois Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness FY27-29, which outlines Illinois’ priorities for the next three years.
“Every person deserves the dignity and stability that come with having a safe place to call home,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Five years ago, I proudly launched a statewide effort to address homelessness. Since then, we’ve helped thousands of Illinoisans find greater stability and strengthened the systems that support our unhoused neighbors. With the next Home Illinois Plan, we’re building on that progress to continue our mission to end homelessness in our state.”
Signed on September 3, 2021, Executive Order 2021‑21 created a statewide structure dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness through coordinated policy, shared accountability, and meaningful partnership across agencies and communities. Over the past five years, Illinois has built a statewide framework defined by collaboration, racial equity, data-driven decision making, and sustained investment in housing, health, and economic stability.
“Over the past five years, our work to end homelessness has been driven by the Governor’s mission and aim, while centering the voices of those impacted and those with lived expertise,” said Dulce M. Quintero, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services. “As we mark this five-year milestone, we are proud of the progress Illinois has made, but we know there is much more work ahead. This plan provides a path forward as we continue strengthening our response and working toward a future where every Illinoisan has a safe, stable place to call home.”
The new Home Illinois Plan provides an updated, comprehensive roadmap for the years ahead, underscoring both the progress Illinois has made and the challenges that remain. Its release comes at a pivotal moment: while homelessness in Illinois decreased overall by 6% between 2025 and 2026, the number of people living outdoors, in cars, or in abandoned buildings increased by 22%.
“Five years ago, Illinois made a commitment not just to reduce homelessness, but to transform how we show up for our neighbors. Today we see the results in thousands of people who have moved into stable housing, reconnected with family, and regained a sense of safety and belonging,” said Illinois Chief Homelessness Officer Christine Haley. “The progress we celebrate today reflects a statewide community of service providers, public agencies, philanthropy partners, and people with lived expertise who refused to accept homelessness as inevitable. With the release of the next Home Illinois Plan, we are building on that momentum and charting an even more honest, ambitious path toward a state where every person has a home.”
Other key statewide trends and accomplishments include:
- More than 13,300 households have been approved for Court-Based Rental Assistance, with over $105 million disbursed to prevent evictions and maintain stable housing.
- Illinois has launched a Homelessness Education and Technical Assistance Center to help grow the infrastructure of the statewide homeless response system.
- More than 63,000 students were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2024–25 school year, a 30% increase in three years.
- Illinois must build 227,000 new housing units by 2030 to help address a statewide shortage of affordable housing and to meet demand.
Together, these findings affirm the urgency of sustained statewide coordination while also illustrating Illinois’ commitment to confronting homelessness as a solvable, structural issue, which must be supported by building more housing. This past spring Governor Pritzker unveiled his BUILD plan and delivered $250 million to support development and homeownership. Illinois continues to pursue the ambitious policies outlined in BUILD to spur development and create more housing inventory.
“Housing ends homelessness, and our actions have been grounded in this belief as we continue to build a stronger, more coordinated, and more compassionate system to help Illinoisans facing homelessness or housing insecurity,” said Illinois Housing Development Authority Executive Director Kristin Faust. “In the five years since Governor Pritzker signed this Executive Order, IHDA has supported innovative models of healthcare and housing, invested in our partners who respond to housing insecurity across the state, and financed the development of more than 2,500 affordable apartments with supports that help people break the cycle of homelessness and thrive. And while this progress is real, we know there is still more to do, and we will continue to work with our many partners so no neighbor, parent, child, or friend has to face a housing crisis without the support they deserve.”
“I am here today because I found a medical respite program in Evanston at a time when I didn’t know where else to turn,” said Loren Taylor, who was facing housing insecurity while undergoing treatment for cancer. “Expanding the medical respite system across Illinois will save lives, and I know that because it saved mine. I now have many years ahead of me, thanks to this support.”
“Over the past five years, philanthropy and the state have come together during some of the toughest moments — from public health emergencies to housing system strain — to move resources to communities quickly and flexibly,” said Emily Krisciunas, who is the Executive Director of Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness and Co-Chair of the Illinois Community Advisory Council on Homelessness. “What’s made this partnership so effective is coordination among stakeholders, giving funders a meaningful role in advancing the Home Illinois vision. This new Plan reflects that shared commitment and shows how much more we can accomplish when philanthropy, government, and community leaders work in true alignment.”
The full FY27–29 Home Illinois Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is available here.