Heartland Human Care Services, Inc.

Heartland Human Care Services, Inc., a Chicago-based tax-exempt nonprofit, operates as a federal grant recipient delivering homeless services, veteran family supportive services, refugee resettlement and case management, and human trafficking victim assistance across the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Justice.

The organization holds 157 total awards (110 prime, 47 sub-recipient) spanning the past five years, with $1.19 billion in combined obligated dollars. Heartland's federal footprint is dominated by HUD's Continuum of Care Program (CFDA 14.267), which accounts for the largest share of its prime awards. The organization serves as a direct recipient of recurring project grants supporting permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and supportive services for homeless individuals and families in the Chicago area. Representative CoC awards include a $4.3 million project grant (October 2025 through September 2026), a $272,849 project grant (February 2026 through January 2027), and a $164,356 project grant (December 2024 through November 2025). Heartland also holds multi-year cooperative agreements under HUD's CoC framework extending into 2026.

Veterans Affairs funding flows through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (CFDA 64.033), under which Heartland has received recurring project grants totaling approximately $4.74 million (September 2025 through September 2026) and $901,500 (August 2022 baseline), providing outreach, case management, benefits counseling, and temporary financial assistance to very low-income veteran families in Illinois experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The Department of Health and Human Services funds work through two distinct channels: the Office of Refugee Resettlement's home study and post-release services program for unaccompanied children (cooperative agreement running through December 2026) and residential shelter and transitional foster care services for unaccompanied children (cooperative agreement extending through June 2026), as well as human trafficking victim assistance grants. The Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime has funded trauma-informed housing and case management services for trafficking survivors, including a $1.3 million plus multi-year project grant (October 2022 through September 2026) and an enhanced-scope services award (October 2021 through September 2025).

HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development drives award volume—75 awards spanning CoC activities—while the Veterans Health Administration (18 awards), HHS Administration for Children and Families (18 awards), and DOJ Office of Justice Programs Victims of Crime (9 awards) form the secondary customer base, collectively covering 88% of recent award count. Activity peaked in 2023 (28 awards) and has since moderated to 10 awards in 2025 and 2 awards in 2026 year-to-date, reflecting the typically annual or biennial recertification cycle of HUD CoC grants. Six awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing potential recompete exposure.

As a sub-recipient, Heartland operates under prime grantees including the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (trafficking victim assistance, refugee services), the Illinois Department of Human Services (social service block grant pass-through), the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (human trafficking services), the Illinois State Board of Education (school nutrition programs), the City of Chicago (HIV/AIDS housing assistance), and the Illinois Community College Board (adult education and literacy). These sub-awards account for 30% of Heartland's federal footprint and reflect downstream pass-through activity rather than direct federal contracting relationships.

Heartland competes entirely through federal grant mechanisms—no federal contracts, contract vehicles, or set-asides appear in the award history. The organization's service geography concentrates in Illinois (Cook, Will, DuPage, and Lake Counties in the Chicago metropolitan area) with some national scope through refugee resettlement networks operated under prime grantee relationships.