The Oak Park Homelessness Coalition held its quarterly meeting on Thursday, January 15, bringing together community partners to share updates on homelessness services, housing trends, and local initiatives. We appreciate everyone who attended and contributed to a thoughtful and productive discussion.
Housing Forward provided updates on the Anderson Emergency Shelter, which opened on Halloween and has already served individuals and families in need. Due to flooding in December, overnight shelter operations were temporarily relocated to the Bridge Center. CEO Lynda Schueler shared a 12-month overview of shelter use, noting that about 40% of those served were Oak Park residents and that extended stays continue to reflect a shortage of permanent housing options. Lynda Schueler also presented enrollment insight and trends among those who have been served at their shelter. The slides can be found here.
The Village of Oak Park shared updates on several initiatives, including a newly approved funding to support full operations of the Anderson Emergency Shelter through 2026. Additional updates included streamlined access to emergency housing assistance, a new eviction ordinance requiring landlords to share resource information and notify E.C.H.O., and the completion of E.C.H.O.’s first-year pilot program supporting residents at risk of homelessness.
Megan Yerger of Housing Action Illinois presented findings from Not Even a Place in Line, highlighting how limited housing voucher availability and rising rents continue to leave many families without clear paths to stable housing. She also shared updates on the FY26 Federal budget and ongoing uncertainty around federal housing funding. This presentation can be found here.
Our 2026 quarterly meeting schedule is listed below. We look forward to seeing you all at our next coalition meetings!
