Supportive Housing Providers Association - SHPA

11/20/2025

🤝 Last night, three of our staff members celebrated the opening of the "BREAKTHROUGH: Housing Futures" exhibition at the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago.

This exhibition looks back at the historical Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program “Operation Breakthrough”. It is organized by Alexander Eisenschmidt, a designer, writer, and professor of architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

This immersive exhibition creates an experimental living room and learning space for conversations about affordable housing futures, past and present. It blends historical documentation of ambitious HUD demonstration projects from the 1970s with new prototypes from The Housing Futures Initiative. This work aims to challenge the social, cultural, and economic conventions of housing.

Thank you to everyone at the National Public Housing Museum for giving us the opportunity to join you last evening! What a phenomenal exhibition.

11/18/2025

On November 4th & 5th, we held our Annual Supportive Housing Summit in Bloomington - Normal. This event featured session topics such as "Continuing SOAR Beyond the TA Center", "Know your Rights: ICIRR", "Power Through Strategic Advocacy", and more.

Our Training & Technical Assistance Manager, Monique Williams, put on a spectacular live performance based off of the book "High Rise Stories". The cast consisted entirely of SHPA Peer Leaders.

A very special Thank You to all of our Speakers, Supporters, and Members. We could not have made this event a success without you!

Thank you all for joining us in celebration of SHPA's 25th Anniversary. We hope to see you next year!

02/06/2025

12/24/2024

Happy Holidays! We wish you all a wonderful holiday season and New Year!

11/04/2024

10/10/2024

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/a-new-vision-for-social-housing-in-america/

The most effective way to solve America’s severe housing affordability crisis is to undertake a bold federal program of social housing construction that will deliver millions of new affordable, self-sustaining housing units located in opportunity-rich areas.

09/25/2024

OPPOSE HR 1605 before the committee gavels -in tomorrow morning if you haven't yet done so.
Despite the failure of H.R. 1605, the “Natural Disaster Recovery Program Act” at last week’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup – a success that would not have been possible without your concerted advocacy - the Committee has announced an unprecedented last-minute markup tomorrow morning to try and pass the bill a second time.

This bill would unnecessarily create a new FEMA long-term recovery program, which would be largely duplicative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, but far less effective. FEMA’s existing short-term assistance programs largely fail to address the needs of disaster survivors, especially the lowest-income survivors – often the hardest hit by disaster and left with the longest, steepest paths to recovery. The existence of two competing long-term recovery programs would needlessly complicate negotiations around future long-term recovery assistance making it less likely that such assistance could survive the appropriations process.

Add your organization’s name to the sign on letter here. Due to the Committee’s snap decision, we’ll be sending this letter out this afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s markup.

09/10/2024

Governor Pritzker Awards $6 Million in Grant Funding Through Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program
Governor Pritzker Awards $6 Million in Grant Funding Through Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program
Press Release - Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Grant funding improves employment opportunities and combats homelessness

CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) awarded more than $6 million in grant funding to four recipients through the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program. This program is a partnership between DCEO, the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) and the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and is funded through the Illinois Job Training and Economic Development Program (JTED).

"We're fighting homelessness in Illinois with compassion, innovation, and ongoing coordination," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Thanks to this award, my administration is one step closer to reaching our goal of functional zero homelessness by providing vulnerable residents the resources they need to find financial and housing stability."

"Too often, systemic inequities compound and force hardworking people into homelessness. Our communities have been asking for ways to uplift and protect each other; the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program is turning words into action,"said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "By establishing a road to financial stability, we empower everyone to create a safe, dignified life of their own design."

The goal of the 30-month Home Illinois Workforce Pilot is to support individuals experiencing homelessness by improving employment opportunities, helping them establish financial stability and improving their ability to afford permanent housing in their community. The program is an essential part of the JTED Program, which was created to provide workforce training and wrap-around services to bolster equitable workforce recovery for Illinoisans struggling to gain meaningful employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. DCEO and OPEH will identify opportunities to strengthen partnerships between homeless service and workforce systems through these pilot projects, which will be implemented in a variety of urban, suburban and rural settings across Illinois.

"The State of Illinois is committed to providing critical tools and resources to Illinoisans who have historically experienced disinvestment," said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. "Through the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program, DCEO and IDHS are providing grant funding to grantees and partners across the state to increase meaningful career opportunities and services for vulnerable communities and help combat homelessness.”

Lead Grantee

Area Served

Grant Amount

All Chicago Making Homelessness History

Chicago

$2,000,000

Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

Cook County

$2,000,000

Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc.

Central and Southeast Regions

$1,213,355

United Workforce Development Board, Inc.

North Central Region

$841,190

"We are grateful to DCEO for this partnership. Under this administration, we continue to combine proven best practices with innovation - finding ways to support our unhoused Illinoisans through invaluable supports. Connecting more people to work that provides living wages will set them up on a path to independence and long-term success," said IDHS Secretary Designate Dulce M. Quintero.

"One of the pillars of our State strategic plan to end homelessness is securing financial stability. The Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program represents a significant advancement in strengthening systems to support individuals experiencing homelessness seek and attain meaningful work," said Christine Haley, Chief Homelessness Officer for Illinois. "I am enthusiastic to see the impact of the allocation of over $6 million from DCEO for this program. The funding supports to local homeless Continuums of Care and workforce agencies open up work opportunities for Illinoisans seeking jobs with wages that can pay market rate rent, protecting families from returning to homelessness."

Each program is a partnership between local Continuum of Care lead agencies, local Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Administrative Entities (WIOAs) and community service providers. The program will be implemented in areas throughout the state that connect people who are experiencing homelessness to employment and that demonstrate systemic coordination of the homeless response system, led by local Continuums of Care and the workforce system.

"The Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program is an important tool the State of Illinois is using to fight homelessness," said Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). "I look forward to seeing the progress that providers across Illinois make to help our most vulnerable populations become career ready."

"Ending homelessness doesn't happen overnight, but with the support of the General Assembly, the State of Illinois is laying the foundation for sustained progress," said Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora). "By opening the doors to career pathways for families that need it the most, the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program will have a significant impact for communities throughout Illinois."

The Illinois Job Training and Economic Development (JTED) Grant Program is funded by the State of Illinois General Revenue Funds appropriated by the General Assembly in the State Fiscal Year 2024 budget. The requirements of the program follow 20 ILCS 605/605-415 (JTED Act) and the rules adopted in support of the JTED Act, 56 Ill. Admin. Code Part 2660 (JTED Rules).

Link to Press Release:

Press Releases

08/08/2024

We extend our gratitude to Alderman Raymond Lopez of Chicago's 15th Ward for his motivational message to the Peer Leaders of SHPA and for the significant impact they have on legislators through their advocacy. His video address marked the beginning of the second day of the 2024 Peer Leadership Conference in Bloomington.

07/31/2024

"Very aggressive" homeless encampment sweeps began Tuesday morning in San Francisco, as recently touted by Mayor London Breed. The Standard witnessed aggressive enforcement action under the Central Freeway.

07/30/2024

https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-waiver-tracker-approved-and-pending-section-1115-waivers-by-state/

This Medicaid waiver tracker page aggregates tracking information on pending and approved Section 1115 Medicaid waivers. It includes resources such as an overview figure, detailed waiver topic tables, and explanatory briefs.

07/29/2024

https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_24_194

HUD No. 24-194 HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0685 FOR RELEASE Friday July 26, 2024 HUD Awards $3.4 Million to Public Housing Authorities to Prevent Homelessness Among Vulnerable Youth Exiting Foster Care 38 Public Housing Agencies in 19 states will use funding to keep foster youth housed. WASHINGTON....