The continuum of care (COC) program is designed to promote community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, states, and local…

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development awarded Connections For The Homeless $325,936 on October 1, 2025, under the Continuum of Care Program (CFDA 14.267) to operate an 80-bed 24/7 shelter with comprehensive services in Evanston, Illinois through September 30, 2026.

The award funds eligible costs to establish and operate projects under five program components: permanent housing (including permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing), transitional housing, supportive services only, Homeless Management Information Systems, and homelessness prevention. Connections For The Homeless uses this funding to deliver shelter operations, case management, and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in suburban Cook County, Illinois. The organization operates three program components: a daytime drop-in center at two Evanston locations providing case management, showers, laundry, food, clothing, and benefits advocacy; a street outreach team with three full-time staff; and the 80-bed non-congregate shelter. Staffing includes a full-time nurse and behavioral health specialist. The organization collaborates with the Alliance To End Homelessness, the City of Evanston, Cook County, and the Illinois Department of Human Services to coordinate entry systems and target services to youth ages 24 and younger, veterans, and families with children.

Activities

These grants may be used to pay for the eligible costs used to establish and operate projects under five program components: 1. Permanent housing, which includes permanent supportive housing for persons with disabilities, and rapid rehousing; 2. Transitional housing; 3. Supportive services only; 4. Homeless management information systems (hmis); and 5. Homelessness prevention (in some cases). Eligible costs within these projects include: 1. Leasing of a structure or structures, or portions thereof, to provide housing or supportive services; 2. Rental assistance, which may be short-term, medium-term, or long-term, as well as tenant-based, project-based, or sponsor-based, for transitional or permanent housing; 3. Supportive services to assist program participants obtain and maintain housing; 4. Operating costs of supportive housing; 5. Costs of implementing and operating hmis; 6. Project administrative costs; 7. Relocation costs; and 8. Indirect costs in accordance with 2 CFR parts 200, as applicable. In addition to using grant funds for the eligible costs described above, recipients and subrecipients in continuums of care designated as high performing communities may also use grant funds to provide housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance to youth at risk of homelessness as set forth in 24 CFR 576.103 and 24 CFR 576.104, if necessary to prevent youth from becoming homeless. No assistance provided under program (or any state or local government funds used to supplement this assistance) may be used to replace state or local funds previously used, or designated for use, to assist homeless persons or persons at-risk of homelessness.

Expected outcomes

Decrease in the number of youth experiencing homelessness, more specifically using performance indicators such as the length of time homeless, returns to homelessness over time, and exits to permanent housing. COC performance profile reports can be found at: https://WWW.hudexchange.info/programs/COC/COC-performance-profile-reports/

Intended beneficiaries

Youth defined as households where no person is over the age of 24

Subrecipient activities

The subrecipient activities are unknown at the time of award