After nearly 40 years of providing emergency overnight shelter, we are investing in a new vision of the community safety net by moving towards a motel-based shelter model to help people experiencing homelessness return to housing.
The Need
Southwest Suburban Cook County has seen a surge in homelessness. Even before COVID-19, the National Low Income Housing Coalition consistently found that there was no IL zip code where a minimum wage worker could afford a two-bedroom apartment. The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County’s 2024 Point in Time (PIT) count located 754 individuals experiencing homelessness in our service area, a 13 percent increase from 2023. The Illinois Shelter Alliance estimates that the State needs 4,000 shelter beds to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
The Response
The Cicero Avenue Transitional Shelter is our answer. It includes 80 beds in private rooms for people experiencing homelessness. Clients can remain for up to 90 days and access:
- Meals and Basic Supplies
- Professional Case Management
- Transportation Support
- Connections to Longer-Term Housing Programs
Since October 2023, the program sheltered 409 unique individuals.
The Site
The Aloha Inn is the ideal program location. Located at 8515 S. Cicero Avenue, Chicago, it offers living amenities including 55 rooms with private bathrooms, 24/7 security and staffing, and a dining room/flexible community space. Planned renovations include:
- Modernizing rooms
- Installing an elevator for client accessibility
- Upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system
- Improving the building facade, streetscape, and green spaces
- Accommodating onsite clinical health services
- Offering client laundry facilities and storage space
Help this vision come to fruition
The Cicero Avenue Transitional Shelter campaign is our latest investment in Southwest Suburban Cook County. Since 2017, we’ve strengthened the regional safety net with the construction and acquisition of the Ogden Avenue Supportive Housing facility, Dover Place facility, the Linda Sokol Francis Summit Service Center, and Archer Avenue Medical Bridge apartment building. Cicero Avenue is the gateway to our programs and independent housing. It represents the future of homeless shelter and will stand for decades to come.
YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CICERO AVENUE TRANSITIONAL SHELTER CAMPAIGN WITH A GIFT HERE.