Over the past decade, homelessness in the Chicago area has been on the rise, and the latest numbers are especially troubling. According to the City of Chicago’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count, the number of longtime Chicago residents without stable housing jumped by 38 percent in just one year. In Suburban Cook County, homelessness rose by 15 percent, with chronic homelessness — people stuck in long-term housing instability — up by 16 percent. These aren’t just statistics. They represent families with children, young people, survivors of domestic violence, recent immigrants, and even folks who are working but still cannot afford a place to live. And while these numbers do include people living on the streets or in shelters, they do not account for those who “double up” with friends or family. In the face of rising need and uncertain funding, the question is not just how we respond to homelessness, but how we rethink what it means to end it. At The Chicago Community Trust, we are committed to supporting long-term, systemic solutions. We support organizations that meet people where they are – with trauma-informed care, youth and immigrant services, and family shelters – while also advocating for the policy changes that can prevent homelessness before it starts. 

In this episode of Trust Talks, host Joanne Otte, the Trust’s Critical Needs program manager, is joined by Casey Holtschneider, executive director of Lyte Collective; Jennifer Hill, executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness for Suburban Cook County; LaShunda Brown, chief officer of quality and impact at Primo Center; and Niya Kelly, director of state legislative policy, equity and transformation at the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness. Together, they discuss the current state of homelessness in the Chicago area, highlighting best practices currently underway, how organizations are adapting, and how to address the systemic barriers that lead to homelessness. 

This episode was produced by Juneteenth Productions and recorded at LYTE Collective