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Each year, we assist thousands of individuals and families who come to us from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Their stories illustrate the complexity of housing crisis and homelessness, and how delivering solution-focused personalized support services ensures vulnerable community members thrive.

There is no one "face" or one cause of homelessness. The people we assist are a diverse group of individuals and families who have one thing in common: they have experienced a catastrophic housing or financial crisis. Often, that crisis is precipitated and/or complicated by a physical disability, chronic health condition, or behavioral health disorder, conditions that are exacerbated by the lack of access to proper care and resources.

Here are a few of their stories.

Woman with hat smiling
She can’t remember life before homelessness. Now 7 years after moving into her own apartment Yvonne can’t imagine where...
Baker with loaves of bread
P.J. came to shelter in November of 2019. This was his first experience of homelessness and he really needed a place to...
woman smiling
A special client story highlighted at the 2019 Housing Forward Have-a- Heart Gala is about Juanita, a mother of six...
man with santa hat signing papers
Today Gregory signed the lease for his new apartment through Housing Forward’s Open Door Housing (ODH) Program. ODH is...
man standing in kitchen
Adar is finally stably housed after living under bridges, in stranger's cars, on sidewalks, in doorways, in woods and at...
Man looking at camera
If you shop at the Oak Park Target store, you may recognize Ronald. That was his regular spot when he lived on the...