From the Archives: 1984 – Basic Human Needs Fund Established  

Addressing the basic needs of residents has always been a fundamental part of the Trust’s work. As homelessness and food insecurity rise in Chicago, the Trust builds upon years of experience developing strategies and funding opportunities to organizations serving residents without adequate food or shelter. Four decades ago, a generous donor’s gift enabled us to create a fund dedicated to fighting homelessness and hunger.  

In 1984, an estimated 19,400 to 20,300 unhoused individuals lived in Chicago. Faced with a growing crisis caused by federal cuts to social services, the Trust recognized the urgent need to enhance the capacity of local organizations assisting unhoused and hungry individuals in Chicago and Cook County. The Trust created the Basic Human Needs Fund in January 1984 to support the organizations fighting homelessness and hunger. 

The Basic Human Needs Fund was established as an endowment fund with a donation of $50,000 from Kathleen Busse, a suburban mother and teacher. Kathleen and her husband shared a strong commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable members of their communities. When her husband passed away in a tragic accident in 1983, Bruce Newman, the Trust’s former executive director, suggested to Kathleen that she honor her late husband by seeding the Basic Human Needs Fund.  

By the end of 1986, the program raised $4 million. Over 70 agencies that provided emergency assistance to unhoused and hungry individuals received funding to create, expand or enhance their programs and services. 

Many organizations got their start as recipients of grants from the Basic Human Needs Fund. Travelers and Immigrants Aid received $158,000 to establish a shelter for unhoused individuals in Chicago’s South Loop. St. Martin de Porres House of Hope received $150,000 to rehabilitate a building in Woodlawn to establish a transitional shelter for unhoused women.  

Basic Human Needs grants also helped established agencies meet rising needs. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless received $25,000 in 1984 to grow from a small volunteer coalition to a nonprofit with almost 160 member organizations. Its legislative and policy development work was instrumental in the City of Chicago’s substantial increase in funding programs for unhoused individuals from 1984 to 1986.  

The success of the Basic Human Needs Fund laid a strong foundation for the Trust’s coordinated efforts to fight housing and food insecurity that continue to this day. The Sustainable Solutions for Housing Stability (SSHS) initiative and the Building Pathways to Stability program allocate funds for nonprofits serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness or hunger. In June 2024, the Trust’s Unity Fund awarded general operating and project support to six organizations working to alleviate food insecurity.   

Forty years after the establishment of the Basic Human Needs Fund, we continue to be a crucial partner for nonprofits with some of our region’s most vulnerable residents. The original mission of the fund to support direct service organizations has evolved to include programs such as Building Pathways to Stability, which uses an intersectional approach to addressing food insecurity and homelessness simultaneously with the goal of developing means for residents to achieve long-term stability. For years to come, the Trust will continue to build upon decades of experience to serve communities that are most vulnerable.