Samuel Paler-Ponce, MPA
Associate Editor
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2026

Since August 2022, Chicago has seen a record influx of new arrivals, with nearly 47,000 individuals seeking asylum in Illinois from the southern U.S. border. In response to this surge of new Chicagoans, the city and state launched the One System Initiative, an ambitious effort to integrate the systems serving Chicagoans experiencing homelessness and new arrivals. By aligning resources and streamlining services, the initiative aims to enhance the city’s overall homeless response system. Such integration must also comply with various federal, state, and local regulations concerning eligibility requirements, funding restrictions, and documentation demands.

Phase 1 of the initiative, spanning from January 2024 through September 2024, was designed to lay the groundwork for leveraging resources, expanding the workforce, investing in proven housing models, and updating policies to better support the city’s most vulnerable populations.

Vision and purpose of the One System Initiative

The overarching vision of the One System Initiative is to merge the city’s current fragmented services into a cohesive system capable of addressing homelessness and housing instability for all residents.

The leadership and decision-making structure include representatives from City, County, and State governments, as well as leaders from community-based organizations and people with lived experience of homelessness. Together, these leaders worked to develop recommendations that would form the backbone of the One System Initiative.

Key recommendations from Phase 1

The first phase of the initiative saw the convening of workgroups and a Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) to draft recommendations across six key focus areas: Access Points, Shelter, Community Integration, Provider Coordination, Data, and Training. These groups met weekly to discuss challenges and potential solutions, with CAB members working closely with workgroup chairs to ensure community voices were at the forefront of decision-making. The recommendations highlighted below were identified as the most urgent.

1. Shelter bed inventory: As of June 2024, Chicago had approximately 3,000 shelter beds in the homeless response system and over 11,000 beds dedicated to new arrivals. While New arrivals were allowed to stay in homeless shelters, residents experiencing homelessness could not access New Arrival shelters. To create a unified system, the recommendation was made to maintain the current shelter bed count and allow all residents access to the combined pool of over 14,000 beds. The implementation of this recommendation faces logistical challenges, such as the restrictions on migrant-dedicated resources due to funding requirements and permanent staffing shortages. Chicago must ensure compliance with funding guidelines, which may require braided federal funding to meet all the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
2. Specialized training for staff and participants: One of the core challenges identified during Phase 1 was the need for specialized training for both staff and residents across the new unified system. Many staff members reported feeling underprepared to handle the complexities of serving both Chicagoans experiencing homelessness and new arrivals, who often face different challenges. This recommendation calls for the development of a core curriculum for shelter staff that covers both systems. Training would focus on cultural competency, language access, and understanding the unique journeys of new arrivals.
3. Prioritization process for shelter beds: With the increase in demand for shelter beds, there is a critical need for a transparent and community-driven prioritization process. As of June 2024, the city had over 14,000 shelter beds available, but this may still not be enough to meet future demand. This recommendation proposes a streamlined, equitable prioritization system for those seeking shelter. This system would prioritize the most vulnerable residents, ensuring that families and individuals in dire need are always sheltered.
4. 24/7/365 physical access points: Currently, accessing shelter in Chicago involves navigating a complex, frustrating, and often inconsistent system. Homeless residents must either call 311 or visit specific locations to request a bed, while new arrivals follow a separate process. This bifurcated approach has led to inefficiencies and barriers, with many residents struggling to secure shelter in a timely manner. To address this, the initiative recommends creating a low-barrier access point that is available 24/7, 365 days a year. This access point would offer a one-stop shop for shelter requests, assessments, and referrals to other necessary services. Additionally, a real-time data tracking system would be developed to streamline shelter placement, reducing wait times and ensuring that residents are quickly connected to available beds.
5. Virtual access point for shelter requests: The One System Initiative recommends establishing a virtual access point for shelter requests. This would involve creating a phone line exclusive to shelter inquiries, separate from the existing 311 system, which currently handles a wide variety of non-emergency services. By focusing exclusively on shelter needs, the virtual access point could provide faster, more efficient responses to residents seeking shelter. The workgroup also emphasized the need for a multilingual workforce capable of responding to shelter requests within four hours and arranging transportation to available beds. If no bed is immediately available, residents would be offered transportation to the physical 24/7 access point to wait for a placement.

Moving toward One System

Phase 1 of Chicago’s One System Initiative represents a significant step forward in addressing the complex challenges of homelessness and housing instability in the city. The initiative must not only focus on service delivery but also ensure regulatory compliance across all areas, including housing laws, funding restrictions, and data privacy. These legal considerations will be critical to maintaining the initiative’s long-term sustainability and effectiveness. By aligning the existing homeless response system and new arrival response systems, the initiative aims to create a comprehensive and inclusive approach that serves all residents in need of shelter; this goal, though, relies heavily on sufficient city budget appropriations.