3C Community Profile: Humboldt Park
Take a stroll down the Paseo Boricua corridor on Division Street and it’s easy to see why Humboldt Park is one of Chicago’s most vibrant…
Grants
Featured
Our Grantmaking Strategy
For more than 100 years, The Chicago Community Trust has convened, supported, funded, and accelerated the work of community members and changemakers committed to strengthening the Chicago region. From building up our civic infrastructure to spearheading our response to the Great Recession, the Trust has brought our community together to face pressing challenges and seize our greatest opportunities. Today, that means confronting the racial and ethnic wealth gap.
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Grant Recipient
Skills for Chicagoland's Future
Skills for Chicagoland’s Future is a non-profit that focuses on removing the most challenging barrier to equity in hiring: connections to employers. Because of Skills’ experience working with candidates and close relationships with employers, the organization is uniquely positioned to understand the talents that individuals bring to the table as well as the barriers they face in the job search process. Through its relationships with employers and data from real job seekers in Chicago and beyond, Skills influences change in the hiring process to remove these barriers and provide more deserving Chicagoans with job opportunities that help their families and communities thrive. Skills seeks support from the Chicago Community Trust to leverage this knowledge to reduce barriers to hiring, retention and advancement of its candidates. In order to have the greatest impact on closing the racial income and employment gap in Chicago Skills’ recruiting efforts are focused on Black and Latinx job seekers experiencing unemployment or underemployment who come from disinvested communities.
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Grant Recipient
Habitat for Humanity Chicago
Homeownership is a significant wealth-generating tool for families and a key factor in neighborhood health; however, one in ten Chicagoans live in substandard housing, and four in ten in declining neighborhoods. Chicago has the largest gap between White and Black homeowners among major U.S. cities—74.1% of White Chicagoans compared to only 39.1% of Black Chicagoans—a gap perpetuated by the disparity in loans made to Black communities. To respond to this disparity Habitat for Humanity Chicago (Habitat Chicago) will create a new loan product, considering income, the availability of vacant land, percentage of owner-occupied units, and the diversity of housing stock. These metrics ensure that we are providing homeownership opportunities to low-moderate income individuals in neighborhoods in need of single-family homes. Habitat Chicago will implement this new loan program in partnership with two HUD approved organizations: Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC) and Far South Community Development Corporation (FSCDC). Both organizations have a history of preparing homebuyers in our focus neighborhoods, while also fulfilling a service gap for Habitat Chicago- qualified buyers. Habitat Chicago was established through a consolidation of multiple Habitat for Humanity affiliates in 2002, and in 2011 adopted a strategy to focus on neighborhood health by providing affordable new home construction, homebuyer education, and neighborhood development grants in targeted communities. We build affordable homes for qualified buyers, equip them for homeownership with in-depth financial literacy education and equitable lending, and facilitate positive community action through neighborhood improvement projects that promote social cohesion. Habitat Chicago works in historically disinvested neighborhoods where exclusionary housing policies and inequitable development have limited wealth building for generations. In 2012, we began work in West Pullman on Chicago’s South Side. We broke ground in Greater Grand Crossing in spring 2021 and we are preparing to expand services to Austin on Chicago’s West Side. We intentionally serve neighborhoods with predominantly Black populations because regional prosperity depends on the health of these communities. In consideration of current and future needs of our focus neighborhoods, our FYE 2024-2028 Neighborhood Forward Strategic Plan identifies four areas of impact to include: strengthen the neighborhood housing market, connect the community, elevate the neighborhood appeal, and enhance the physical environment. This grant will allow us to strengthen the neighborhood housing market with our key tactics being to expand access to pre-purchase educational opportunities and financing to promote sustainable long-term homeownership through our Affordable Homeownership Program (AHP). AHP gives qualifying homebuyers access to a 30-year, zero percent interest mortgage to purchase newly constructed, affordable, energy efficient homes built by Habitat’s construction team, subcontractors, volunteers, and homebuyers. Qualified homebuyers receive extensive support from application to closing, attend classes and guidance meetings, and help build their homes. In FY24, we plan to complete eight new homes, and twelve more in FY25. Further, we recently piloted a collaborative workforce development initiative at our construction sites with several local workforce development programs (Revolution Workshop, Chicago Women in Trade, Rebuilding Exchange, etc) that will allow us to increase our construction delivery over time. Funds acquired by this grant will provide Habitat Chicago with the opportunity to expand an existing project to include more structured homebuyer preparation and more flexible underwriting guidelines than our current loan product. Additionally, this proposal includes the creation of a special purpose financing program to provide greater access and to specifically target Austin and West Pullman.
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Grant Recipient
Lawndale Christian Legal Center
Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC) is requesting support from The Chicago Community Trust for its North Lawndale Residential Community Justice Center located in North Lawndale’s K-Town community in Chicago. The North Lawndale Residential Community Justice Center includes 20 individual housing units for justice-involved, emerging adult males (ages 18-24). The North Lawndale Residential Community Justice Center is an innovative model that addresses the twin problems of homelessness and violent crime in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Our model of housing plus workforce development, in conjunction with holistic legal services, is a groundbreaking model that is both replicable and scalable in other Chicago communities as well as throughout the state of Illinois where concerning statistics around these interrelated issues have not moved in decades.
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Grant Recipient
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC) is requesting funding support to expand our HUD-certified Financial Services programming to include Workforce Development and enhance our comprehensive Case Management services. We aim to increase the number of clients served on Chicago’s southwest side through our provision of free financial literacy skill-building, foreclosure prevention counseling, financial planning assistance, pre- and post-purchase homebuyer counseling, and connections to quality employment training and job placement opportunities in partnership with PODER, a local nonprofit organization also serving Chicago’s southwest side. In the past year, BPNC worked with PODER to successfully develop this new initiative. BPNC served 108 new clients in our comprehensive financial literacy training program. Additionally, our case managers and housing counselors made 132 individual referrals to PODER for their comprehensive workforce case management and placement services. 69 of these individuals participated in job counseling. 85% of these clients achieved at least one of their job counseling goals. With renewed funding, we believe we can continue building on these achievements, and address the growing income and wealth disparities in SW Chicago by growing our clients’ financial literacy, housing resources, and workforce alternatives.
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Grant Recipient
Anew: Building Beyond Violence & Abuse
Anew Building Beyond Violence and Abuse respectfully requests a grant of $150,000 to support our emergency shelter, transitional and rapid rehousing programs. In 2019, our board of directors began rebranding, and in September 2020 we changed our name from South Suburban Family Shelter to Anew: Building Beyond Violence and Abuse as it reflects the evolution of services we provide. The new name encapsulates all we do to help those impacted by domestic violence and more accurately describes the work we do to educate the community and stop domestic violence in its tracks. Anew served domestic violence survivors located in the south suburbs of Cook County. We are one of only two domestic violence agencies working in this geographic area helping survivors avoid and/or end homelessness resulting from fleeing domestic violence. Our client population identifies as 66% African American, 12% Hispanic/Latinx, 8.5% Caucasian and 13% multi-racial. A 2019-2021 Franciscan Health Community Health Needs Assessment of south suburban Cook County revealed 50% of participants surveyed identified assault, violent crime, and domestic violence as a top need of attention. Those surveyed are representatives of all service areas of Anew. A 2018-2019 Community Health Needs Assessment completed by University of Chicago Medicine-Ingalls Memorial revealed 20% of residents in the service area (which is also the majority of Anew's service area) live below 200% of the federal poverty level with 33% of children in this area living below 100% of the federal poverty level. This is compared to 19% statewide and 21% nationally. The south suburbs have been dramatically affected by economic decline and have an unemployment rate that is double those of surrounding areas. And fleeing domestic violence is the number one cause of homelessness for women which aligns with these statistics regarding the impact of poverty in south suburban Cook County. Anew has a 24-hour bilingual hotline and emergency shelter system that supports survivors with immediate housing needs. In addition, Anew provides transitional housing and rapid rehousing to survivors fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence who have no other residence and lack the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing. These programs utilize a housing-first model meaning that survivors are not screened out due to active substance use disorders, untreated metal health needs, income level, immigration status or criminal convictions. The only exception to this is that due to the transitional housing program being site-based with families, we cannot house a convicted sex offender. Now in our twenty-fourth year, Anew’s Transitional Housing program is a 10-unit site-based HUD-approved program that provides an apartment along with supportive services to survivors who identify as female with minor children in their custody. Participants remain in their unit rent free for up to 24 months as they seek to regain financial independence and personal empowerment following the abuse they sustained within their relationship. Anew’s Rapid Rehousing program began in 2019 and is a joint project with the other domestic violence agency in the south suburban area, Crisis Center for South Suburbia. This program assists survivors regardless of gender identity, age, or family size, in obtaining an apartment in their name that they can stay in once the services at Anew end. We provide rental assistance along with supportive services for a period up to 24 months. Case managers for these programs meet with the client at minimum once a month, with most receiving weekly services. A benefit analysis including TANF, SNAP, WIC and healthcare is completed upon admission, and again monthly to ensure that participants receive the benefits they are entitled to. Domestic violence counseling is offered to all within the programs with linkage to our counseling department for both adults and children. Classes are offered monthly with a range of topics, including legal issues, banking and personal finance, job search and employment, and personal self-care. These classes are facilitated either by staff or through partnerships with local experts such as a community bank and attorney. Budgeting is a primary goal of these programs with Anew being able to assist with hard services such as food vouchers, gas cards, and payments for some larger bills that prohibit the participant from achieving their financial goals. This has included car repairs, purchase of tires, payment of outstanding medical bills, deposits for utilities, and childcare costs. Many of these survivors within the transitional and rapid-rehousing programs faced literal homelessness when deciding to flee their abusive situation. Anew’s off-site emergency shelter system provides 24-hour access to safe housing with the average stay 1-2 nights. Due to the hotel-based emergency shelter system that is utilized, there are no barriers based on family size or identified gender which other typical emergency shelters face. Transportation is provided to/from shelter as needed. Meals and other necessities such as toiletries are provided as well. We recognize that survivors flee their abusive situation whenever they can, regardless of whether they have the time to collect their belongings. The bilingual (English/Spanish) Crisis Intervention Advocates meet with survivors to develop an immediate safety plan as well as options for longer-term stability. Access to all Anew’s services is built into the process to provide coordinated comprehensive services. Linkage to housing options is discussed with each family in shelter so that they can make decisions regarding what the next steps will be towards their safety. As a portal member agency of the South Suburban Council on Homelessness, we can also provide rental assistance to survivors who are at risk of homelessness due to domestic violence but are not yet homeless. Access to these services is through the Bilingual Crisis Intervention advocates, the Housing Specialist, and the counseling program Bilingual Case Manager. This array of housing interventions offers financial support in a way that helps secure safe housing for victims and their families. Anew is a longtime member of the Continuum of Care for Suburban Cook County with the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County as the lead agency. We follow a DV specific coordinated entry process that considers confidentiality and safety as two main tenants, with assistance prioritized for those at greatest risk. Referrals for domestic violence-specific housing programs are generated from DV agencies within and external to the South Suburban Continuum of Care (CoC), as well as CoC homeless organizations working with individuals impacted by domestic violence. In addition, we partner with six other domestic violence agencies throughout Suburban Cook County as entry points into the CoC process for those who have a housing crisis directly related to fleeing domestic violence. This streamlines the process into housing opportunities. These collaborations with both DV and homeless organizations also provide a rich network of resources for the families we assist. This network of providers includes all member agencies within the Alliance, but specifically South Suburban Pads, Housing Forward, Respond Now, Together We Cope, Crisis Center of South Suburbia, Wings, and Sarah’s Inn. In addition, we have connections within the community to provide supportive services to our participants. Prairie State College for adult education and career training, Sertoma Centre Inc for mental health support, South Suburban Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse for substance use services. For those seeking homeless prevention services, Anew as part of the South Suburban Council on Homelessness partners with Bethel Community, Thornton Township, Beds plus, Cornerstone Community Development Center, Respond Now, Together We Cope, and CEDA to provide rental assistance and utility assistance for families within Suburban Cook County. As the only DV agency within this Council partnership, linkage between organizations is paramount in ensuring safety and confidentiality is provided to those at risk. The success of our housing programs is evaluated and monitored by our Chief Program Officer, Director of Housing, housing staff and an advisory council of former housing clients of Anew. Programs complete quarterly evaluations which include a CQI, grant outcome measures, and/or data analysis of services provided. Program staff have frequent supervision to address a multitude of issues including client issues/needs, prevention of vicarious trauma, and programmatic needs. Having the evaluation of the programs include an advisory council of those with lived experience helps our program remain not only viable but also ensures that our trauma-informed lens is truly reflective of the needs of survivors. This council has provided valuable insight into how policies should be updated to reflect supportive and empowering procedures for our clients. Housing program participants are also given program surveys throughout the year so we can include the anonymous feedback of clients in the program as well. This feedback is used to evaluate and modify the program and services provided.
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Grant Recipient
Illinois Arts Alliance
Arts Alliance Illinois respectfully requests $75,000 from the Chicago Community Trust’s Cross Community Impact program to support our ongoing work to develop a multi-faceted creative worker support structure that aims to elevate and amplify creative workers throughout their professional journey, with a focus on those who have been marginalized historically. Grant investment will focus on making advancements in three key areas where we are directing our efforts related to workforce development: - Engaging in creative worker policy, advocacy and organizing supports, including building and maintaining coalitions in support of creative workers, organizing the creative sector to support other non-arts based coalitions on worker issues, convening creative workers around a shared creative worker policy agenda and advocating for policies that support the creative workforce with a focus on equity, access, and racial justice. - Championing a creative economy task force, a coalition that will develop a strategic plan for the creative economy and ensure the state reaches its economic, social justice, and business development goals. - Piloting a creative worker navigation program, to test the effectiveness of targeted workforce development resources and career navigator support, and increase access to public resources for creative workers.
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Grant Recipient
ILA Creative Studio
ILA is a Chicago-based and Chicago-serving nonprofit. Our mission is to connect Black artists to resources that educate and elevate their individual purpose. We do so by constantly increasing the access and possibilities for generations of Black artists to grow and have sustainable lives in the arts. We have seen the impact our programs have on the community we serve and want to be in a position to consistently provide these resources to our city’s artists and community at large.
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Grant Recipient
Association House of Chicago
Association House's Workforce Training programs provide participants with opportunities to gain the hard and soft skills needed to build life-long careers. Participants who complete training are connected with potential employers and placed in jobs that earn a competitive wage and benefits with opportunities for growth. During and after training, participants are connected with other agency programs to mitigate barriers to training and employment - such as the agency's food pantry, assistance with public benefits applications, or substance use counseling. Current industry-specific workforce training programs include Financial Careers Training, which prepares participants for careers in banking, and Kitchen Training, which prepares justice-involved participants for careers in restaurants/hospitality.