House & Apartment

To find help:

• Call 2-1-1 anywhere in Illinois for housing help,
• In Chicago, call 3-1-1 and ask for shelter or homeless prevention,
• Learn more at the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Homeless Services page or call 800-843-6154,
• Ask the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness (CCH) for legal help, outreach, and support, and
• For youth in crisis, call the National Runaway Safeline at (800) 786-2929 (1-800-RUNAWAY).

Youth in Chicago can also:

• Use the Streetlight Chicago app from CCH, and
• Call Chicago’s The Night Ministry Youth Outreach Team at (773) 784-9000.

Homelessness means not having a safe, stable place to live. In Illinois, a person is considered homeless if they do not have a regular place to sleep. This might look like needing to:

• Stay in a shelter or halfway house,
• Sleep in a place not meant for living, such as an office, car, or park, or
• Temporarily live with friends or relatives because there is nowhere else to go.

People may be at risk of experiencing homelessness if they:

• Fall behind on rent, utilities, or property taxes,
• Receive an eviction A court case brought by a landlord to get a tenant to move out notice,
• Live in unsafe housing,
• Temporarily stay with friends or relatives,
• Flee abusive relationships, or
• Leave jail, a hospital, or another type of program that includes housing without a new place to live.

No, living in unstable housing or experiencing homelessness is not a crime.

If a person providing shelter is abusive or violent, get help as soon as it is safe:

• Call 911 in an emergency,
• Call 2-1-1 anywhere in Illinois for housing help,
• Learn about Illinois protective and restraining orders, human trafficking, and protection from abuse, and
• When human trafficking is a concern, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by phone at (888) 373-7888 or text at 233733.

Problems with bartering work or personal favors for shelter include:

• A short-term stay may last longer than expected while someone looks for work or other housing,
• People offering informal housing may change their minds,
• Other occupants, co-owners of the property, or local authorities may not agree to let another person keep living there,
• A landlord An owner of property who rents it out to a tenant may later dispute the value of work provided,
• Living conditions may be unhealthy or dangerous, and
• The person seeking shelter may be pressured or forced into illegal activity to maintain access to their belongings and housing.

Avoid staying in remote or unfamiliar places without telling trusted people and having a way to get help.

Yes, children experiencing homelessness have the right to attend public school. Learn more about the educational rights of children experiencing homelessness, including support for getting transportation and fee waivers.

Illinois programs for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness include:

• Emergency shelters,
• Temporary housing,
• Help with rent, food, and basic needs,
• Legal help and advocacy, and
• Youth housing services.

Learn more about potential resources in our Health & Benefits section, including:

• SNAP benefits or food stamps,
• Getting temporary financial help with TANF, and
• GA (General Assistance) funds.

The CityKey ID card helps Chicago residents access city services, even without a traditional ID.