Grant funding improves employment opportunities and combats homelessness

CHICAGO - On September 10, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) awarded more than $6 million in grant funding to four recipients through the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program. This program is a partnership between DCEO, the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) and the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and is funded through the Illinois Job Training and Economic Development Program (JTED).

"We're fighting homelessness in Illinois with compassion, innovation, and ongoing coordination," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Thanks to this award, my administration is one step closer to reaching our goal of functional zero homelessness by providing vulnerable residents the resources they need to find financial and housing stability."

"Too often, systemic inequities compound and force hardworking people into homelessness. Our communities have been asking for ways to uplift and protect each other; the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program is turning words into action," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "By establishing a road to financial stability, we empower everyone to create a safe, dignified life of their own design."

The goal of the 30-month Home Illinois Workforce Pilot is to support individuals experiencing homelessness by improving employment opportunities, helping them establish financial stability and improving their ability to afford permanent housing in their community. The program is an essential part of the JTED Program, which was created to provide workforce training and wrap-around services to bolster equitable workforce recovery for Illinoisans struggling to gain meaningful employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. DCEO and OPEH will identify opportunities to strengthen partnerships between homeless service and workforce systems through these pilot projects, which will be implemented in a variety of urban, suburban and rural settings across Illinois.

"The State of Illinois is committed to providing critical tools and resources to Illinoisans who have historically experienced disinvestment," said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. "Through the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program, DCEO and IDHS are providing grant funding to grantees and partners across the state to increase meaningful career opportunities and services for vulnerable communities and help combat homelessness."

"We are grateful to DCEO for this partnership. Under this administration, we continue to combine proven best practices with innovation - finding ways to support our unhoused Illinoisans through invaluable supports. Connecting more people to work that provides living wages will set them up on a path to independence and long-term success," said IDHS Secretary Designate Dulce M. Quintero.

"One of the pillars of our State strategic plan to end homelessness is securing financial stability. The Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program represents a significant advancement in strengthening systems to support individuals experiencing homelessness seek and attain meaningful work," said Christine Haley, Chief Homelessness Officer for Illinois. "I am enthusiastic to see the impact of the allocation of over $6 million from DCEO for this program. The funding supports to local homeless Continuums of Care and workforce agencies open up work opportunities for Illinoisans seeking jobs with wages that can pay market rate rent, protecting families from returning to homelessness."

Each program is a partnership between local Continuum of Care lead agencies, local Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Administrative Entities (WIOAs) and community service providers. The program will be implemented in areas throughout the state that connect people who are experiencing homelessness to employment and that demonstrate systemic coordination of the homeless response system, led by local Continuums of Care and the workforce system.

"The Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program is an important tool the State of Illinois is using to fight homelessness," said Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). "I look forward to seeing the progress that providers across Illinois make to help our most vulnerable populations become career ready."

"Ending homelessness doesn't happen overnight, but with the support of the General Assembly, the State of Illinois is laying the foundation for sustained progress," said Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora). "By opening the doors to career pathways for families that need it the most, the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program will have a significant impact for communities throughout Illinois."

The Illinois Job Training and Economic Development (JTED) Grant Program is funded by the State of Illinois General Revenue Funds appropriated by the General Assembly in the State Fiscal Year 2024 budget. The requirements of the program follow 20 ILCS 605/605-415 (JTED Act) and the rules adopted in support of the JTED Act, 56 Ill. Admin. Code Part 2660 (JTED Rules).