The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and the Inclusive Economy Lab welcomed nearly 200 social sector leaders, researchers, practitioners, and concerned community members on Friday, October 24, to Edith Abbott Hall to discuss and explore solutions to eradicating housing insecurity in Chicago.
The full-day conference, “Families at the Center: Building a Chicago without Homelessness,” featured research presentations and panel discussions moderated by Crown Family School faculty members on topics related to homelessness, including the drivers of homelessness, the role of schools, and the eviction process.
Deborah Gorman-Smith, PhD, Chief Strategist for Community Engagement, University of Chicago, and Emily Klein Gidwitz Professor and Dean, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, told the audience the conference was made possible by a donation from Maurine Kornfeld, AB '42, AM '48, an alumna of the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. A dedicated social worker, Kornfeld’s commitment to improving child and family health in Chicago and addressing homelessness in Los Angeles remains unwavering to this day at the age of 104, Gorman-Smith said during the welcome remarks to the conference attendees.
“Every conversation with Maurine leaves me inspired by what’s possible when we turn research into solutions that truly change lives. And that’s especially important to remember now, because this work is hard,” said Gorman-Smith. “It is always hard, but the challenges we face today can feel heavier, more complex, and sometimes more daunting than ever. But that only makes our efforts even more essential,” Gorman-Smith said.
When examining the drivers of homelessness, it is linked to tight rental markets within large urban centers, leading to higher rates of housing insecurity in cities like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, said Carmelo Barbaro, Executive Director and the Inclusive Economy Lab, citing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data.
“The Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness estimated between 75,000 to 90,000 Chicagoans experience homelessness annually,” said Barbaro. He explained the large figures come from a broad definition of homelessness that includes individuals and families staying in emergency shelters, or with family or friends due to economic circumstances, while still others are forced to stay in a car or hotel due to a lack of permanent residence.
“It is important that we understand there are different types of markets here,” Barbaro said. “It is about both building and subsidizing units. But also, also preserving units,” he said, noting that demographic shifts and the loss of units in affordable areas exacerbate Chicago’s affordable housing shortage.
During the conference, Julia R. Henly, PhD, Samuel Deutsch Professor, Deputy Dean for Research and Faculty Development, moderated a panel discussion with Sendy Soto, Chief Homelessness Officer for the City of Chicago, and Christine Haley, Chief Homelessness Officer for the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.
Soto detailed Chicago’s five-year blueprint to end homelessness, including a focus on building more affordable housing, bolstering support to economic safety nets, and addressing the mortality gap by increasing community health access to medical resources.
“As a macro social worker, I believe very clearly and concretely that we have work to do on housing justice and that homelessness is the key to understanding where we are on housing justice,” Haley said. "We have not achieved housing justice if our neighbors, our friends, our brothers, ourselves are living outside. We are all part of the housing system... we need to do better,” Haley said.
Robin Bartram, PhD, Associate Professor; Margaret M. C. Thomas, PhD, Assistant Professor; and Paige Ponder, the Senior Executive Director from the Kersten Institute for Urban Education, also moderated a panel discussion.
The keynote conversation featured Sol Flores, CEO of Knight Impact Partners, a philanthropic organization focused on community-centered initiatives, interviewing Marcia Fudge, JD, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and former U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 11th congressional district, now a partner at the law firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister.
Fudge emphasized the need for long-term funding and collaborative efforts to address the root causes of housing instability, including economic pressures and bureaucratic barriers to available support programs. Throughout the discussion with Flores, she shared success stories of how Housing First initiatives —a homelessness assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness without prerequisites —improved lives in San Francisco and Chicago.
“I dislike the narrative that if you need help, there is something wrong with you,” Fudge said. “There are always those that slip through the cracks…so the thing that bothers me most is the attitude we take towards those who are struggling. Until we decide that they are important, we’re not going to elevate their issues.”
Fudge also discussed how resource management could improve if government workers were fully supported, noting the current government shutdown and its impact not only on federal employees but also on the programs and initiatives they drive.
“We have depleted the staff (so much so) that they can’t get the money out. There are resources that are sitting there that they can’t get out because they don’t have the people power to get it out,” Fudge said.
Fudge thanked the audience members, mostly all working in the social sector, for their challenging work, emphasizing the importance of their efforts and the impact they have on families and communities.
“I think you do angels’ work. There is nothing about it that gives you any real accolades. There’s nothing that makes people know who you are, but you know the work you do every day,” Fudge said to the audience. “Keep doing what you are doing, because without you, we are nothing. With you, we can do anything.”
Add that the conference culminated with a reception, allowing all attendees to collaborate and network after Barbaro delivered the final summary and call to action. Barbaro told the attendees that the day started by recognizing the scale of homelessness and evictions in Chicago and discussing the unacceptable disparities rooted in racism.
“We heard about the long-term harm caused by allowing evictions and homelessness to persist at these levels in our community, and we grappled with the federal policy environment. But we also heard stories of resilience, and we heard about inspiring policy innovation and initiatives like Stable Homes, Stable Schools, which systematically connects families experiencing housing instability through the school district with financial assistance or long-term rental subsidies,” Barbaro said.
“There are people who care about this work and connect with each other to keep it going, to put actionable research together with practical solutions,” he concluded.
This story was originally published by The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.