Meeting Basic Needs of Families Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 authorizes all of the federal school meal and child nutrition programs, which provide funding to ensure that low-income children have access to healthy and nutritious foods. The Act extends categorical eligibility for child nutrition programs to homeless, migrant, and runaway children.

This webpage from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Provides information about the Community Services Blog Grant Program (CSBG) that allows local community action agencies to help families secure a variety of supports including rental assistance.

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.

When families are in the process of figuring out emergency housing, they may find temporary child care for their young children to be a helpful support. Families in Illinois with children under the age of six may call for assistance or be referred by a friend, family member, school, or social services agency for child care help during a short-term crisis situation. This tab provides contact information for the nurseries located in Urbana, Springfield, Rockford, Bloomington, Chicago, and Peoria. Call the local nursery listed for direct assistance.

Domestic violence is common experience for families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. This link provides a list of shelters and agencies that can assist.

This page provides a description of emergency and transitional housing services as well as a link to a list of emergency and transitional housing centers located in the State of Illinois.

Effective shelters should embrace a Housing First approach, offer immediate and low-barrier access to anyone facing a housing crisis, and measure shelter performance in order to improve results. The Emergency Shelter Learning Series is a collection of webinars and resources from the Alliance focused on explaining the philosophy and practice of effective emergency shelter.

This brief is designed for state and local child nutrition program administrators, cafeteria managers, state coordinators for homeless education, and local homeless education liaisons. It explains the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child Nutrition Division (CND) policies regarding eligibility for free school meals for certain homeless, migrant, and runaway students; addresses frequently asked questions about implementing these policies; and offers tools to ensure that these students can access food both inside and outside of school.

This graphic map shows the coverage areas of Illinois Food Banks by County.

This directory lists agencies that provide supplemental food, emergency meal, and other feeding programs in Illinois. Listings are by region and county.

This webpage contains a directory of emergency and transitional housing centers in Illinois.

This webpage provides a link of homeless prevention providers in Illinois.

The Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) helps low income residents and households conserve fuel and reduce energy costs by making their homes and apartments more energy efficient. IHWAP also provides many health and safety upgrades ensuring safe and healthy homes. Energy conservation and health and safety measures provided through home weatherization can ensure citizens have access to more affordable energy services.

Homeless children in Illinois are entitled to free meals from school feeding programs. This PPT provides a slide show about explaining the policies and documentation requirements for this entitlement.

This page provides a description of services available in the state of Illinois to help families who are housing insecure to prevent homelessness. A link to a directory of service providers throughout Illinois is provided.

This web page provides a map-based search for affordable housing, local public housing authorities, homeless resources, and HUD offices across the United States.

This web site provides an online search for affordable housing in Illinois. In addition, it provides detailed information and links to housing resources, helpful tools for renters such as an affordability calculator, rental checklist, and information about renter rights and responsibilities.

Search for emergency food resources in Illinois by city, county, and program type by city, county, or zipcode.

This page provides links to community-based diaper banks throughout the U.S.

This website helps individuals contact a person in your their community who helps people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

This website has information about rental assistance through the Illinois Housing Development Authority and links to various programs that provide rental assistance and subsidized housing.

This diaper bank provides resources to Illinois residents living in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

This is a listing of sites where children can receive a nutritious meal when school is not in session.

SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.

This web page provides information about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Illinois and a link to a directory of Community Action Agencies that administer the program.

This program provides supplemental nutrition resources, including infant formula or breastfeeding supports through supplemental food and breast pumps to infants and children under age five and pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding mothers.