Chicago Construction News staff writer
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has awarded more than $6 million in grants to four organizations through the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program, 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 J.B. 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.”
The 30-month Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program aims to support individuals experiencing homelessness by improving employment opportunities, establishing financial stability, and making permanent housing more affordable. It is part of the JTED Program, created to address workforce challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. DCEO and OPEH will work to strengthen partnerships between homeless services and workforce systems across urban, suburban, and rural areas of Illinois.
The grant recipients and the areas they will serve are:
- All Chicago Making Homelessness History: $2 million for Chicago
- Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County: $2 million for Cook County
- Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc.: $1,213,355 for Central and Southeast Regions
- United Workforce Development Board, Inc.: $841,190 for the North Central Region
The program will be implemented through partnerships between local Continuum of Care lead agencies, Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Administrative Entities (WIOAs), and community service providers. It will focus on connecting people experiencing homelessness to employment opportunities and demonstrating systemic coordination of the homeless response system.
The JTED Grant Program, which funds the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program, is supported by the State of Illinois General Revenue Funds as appropriated by the General Assembly in the State Fiscal Year 2024 budget.
For more information, visit DCEO’s website or contact the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.
