Hilda’s Place, which has been operating since the pandemic as a drop-in center to provide services at Lake Street Church in Evanston, is set to reopen as a full, year-round overnight shelter, partially due to $2 million in federal funding.
The overnight shelter has been closed since spring 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic made it dangerous to house clients in close quarters. The shelter continues to be used as a drop-in center where people can take showers, grab essentials like clothing and food and meet with the Connections for the Homeless case management team, among other help.
Connections for the Homeless manages the shelter in collaboration with Interfaith Action of Evanston and Lake Street Church, and it held an event at the church on Monday to thank U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky for her help securing the funding.
Connections CEO Betty Bogg said the funding will be used to house some of the estimated 140 people experiencing homelessness each night in Evanston.
“We know as the cost of living increases and the affordable housing stock remains insufficient in our community, our people will experience even more housing instability,” she said. “This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it.”
The $2 million coming to Hilda’s Place is part of the $26.2 million in federal funding Schakowksy was able to secure as part of the federal government’s annual budget bill, according to a release by her team.
The Cook County Board approved an additional $1.5 million last month, and Commissioner Josina Morita also spoke at the event.
“The COVID pandemic really highlighted that this is what we need,” she said. “I’m really proud of the county that’s really stepped in and been a great partner with Connections and everybody here to continue to work on this.”
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Hilda’s Place opened in 1984 after several congregations teamed up against the wishes of City Council to provide shelter for Evanston’s homeless population. The shelter is part of a network of services available to the homeless which now includes the Margarita Inn, a former hotel turned permanent shelter in downtown Evanston with 70 beds.
“We also have to think about changing a system that guarantees that there are going to be people on the street,” Schakowsky said. “That has to be something we are willing to take on.”
Connections Chief Development Officer Nia Tavoularis said the nonprofit expects Hilda’s Place to house 30 to 50 beds, but that they are still in the early phases of design. The shelter revamp is expected to take about a year and a half to two years to be completed, and plans call for it to be open 365 days a year once open.
“There is a housing crisis across this country. There is a moral crisis of people facing housing insecurity and homelessness across this country. And there is a moral crisis of people confusing the problem for the solution across this country,” Mayor Daniel Biss said. “It is the morally right thing to do. It is the necessary thing to do.”