A History of Deborah’s Place: An Organization Serving Women Who Are Homeless or Formally Homeless in Chicago

Since its founding in 1985, Deborah’s Place has provided shelter, food, resources, and support to women in Chicago who are homeless or formerly homeless. Listening to the voices of current and former participants, staff, volunteers, and board members, this report attempts to capture the essence of the relationships of those women who built or participated in Deborah’s Place.

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Advancing Healthy Homes/Healthy Communities: Tackling Environmental Disparities

The mission of this developing project is to expand Loyola University’s capacity as a leading educational institution with a commitment to building a holistic approach in creating healthy homes and healthy communities free of environmental and social toxins.

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Affordable Housing in the Chicago Region: Perspectives and Strategies

The following four essays were written in response to the need for frank and open discussion regarding the future of affordable housing in the Chicago region. These essays came about through a collaborative project of Roosevelt University’s Institute for Metropolitan Affairs and the Center for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University Chicago, and their community partners called Housing Affordability Research Consortium (HARC).

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Alternatives, Inc.

Alternatives, Inc, an organization serving youth in Uptown, is working with CURL to develop a participatory evaluation process focused on their restorative justice program.

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American Indian Health Services Needs Assessment Study - Chicago Metropolitan Region

American Indian Health Services (AIHS) is a health care organization that provides direct services to American Indians and Alaska Natives in Metropolitan Chicago. The organization sought to undertake a review of the health status of American Indian/ Alaska Native people in its service areas so as to ascertain health needs, per the requirements of its major funding agency, Indian Health Services (IHS). As such, AIHS collaborated with the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) at Loyola University Chicago on a needs assessment study to meet the said requirement.

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An Evaluation of Service Use and Satisfaction at Lathrop Homes and Henry Horner Homes

In a time of major CHA restructuring, the agency will no longer provide direct social services to residents. Instead, there are plans to refer residents to neighborhood agencies for services that have traditionally been offered at CHA sites in order to determine resident need and availability to existing services beyond CHA. This study sought to examine access those services.

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Analysis of Shelter Utilization by Victims of Domestic Violence

Funded by the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority Loyola researchers in collaboration with the City of Chicago Mayor's Office on Domestic Violence (MODV) studied the dynamics of shelter utilization and how it relates to the process of and readiness for change among women who are victims of domestic violence.

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Anawim Community Dispersion and Needs Assessment Study

Anawim Center (currently known as the Kateri Center), a Native American spiritual and cultural center under the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Archdiocese of Chicago formed a research collaboration with the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) at Loyola University Chicago and the Office of Research and Planning of the Archdiocese of Chicago for a needs assessment study to determine the whereabouts, needs, and interests of the Native American community in Metropolitan Chicago.

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Asian American Institute Senior Citizens Housing Needs Assessment

Asian American Institute (AAI) sought to address the housing needs of Asian American (specifically Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cambodian) elderly in the Uptown and Albany Park neighborhoods. CURL assisted by completing a housing needs study. Current housing options were mapped and a survey of housing needs among the target population was done.

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Barriers to Independence: A Study of Housing and Personal Assistance Issues for People with Disabilities Residing in Nursing Homes

Access Living and Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Urban Research and Learning began a collaborative partnership to document the conditions influencing the placement of disabled people in a nursing home, and to identify the barriers that prevent nursing home residents from living independently.

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Bethel New Life Evaluation - Phases 1 and 2

This research documented the indicators of community change in a disadvantaged community on Chicago's West Side. The evaluation helped determine the impact of a community-based organization's programs on the quality of life in the community.

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Bethel New Life: Community Demographic Analysis

This project was a comprehensive inventory and analysis of community demographics of West Garfield Park. The first wave was completed from 6/96 - 8/96. The second wave was completed from 8/97 - 12/97.

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Bethel New Life: Land Ownership Inventory

The project sought to inventory land ownership in a redevelopment area around Lake and Pulaski, resulting in a GIS database.

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Bethel New Life: Community Economic Development

The Center for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University Chicago is working together with Bethel New Life in developing research to benefit the surrounding community. This emerging project will focus on key issues around community and economic development. Research goals will include utilizing GIS technology to create databases of information pertinent to the surrounding and Bethel New Life community.

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Beyond Bridging the Divide: The Case for Integrating Technology in Our Communities

The Illinois Community Technology Fund was created to provide funds for community-based technology initiatives that address the issue of the digital divide that exists in many minority and low-income communities. CURL evaluated this state-wide effort.

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Black, White and Shades of Brown: Fair Housing and Economic Opportunity in the Chicago Region

In May 1997 the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities commissioned CURL to write a report answering the questions, “What is the state of fair housing in the Chicago region today, especially related to race and ethnicity? What are its implications for economic opportunity and development?”

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BOLD Chicago

CURL worked with the Building Opportunities for Leadership Development Chicago Institute (BOLD Chicago) to conduct a program evaluation of its leadership development course offered to high schools and middle schools in the Chicago Public School District.

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BP Amoco: Evaluation Projects

CURL worked with BP Amoco foundation to develop the capacity of ten non-profit community organizations in five Chicago communities, Austin, Grand Boulevard, Roseland, Humboldt Park, and Pilsen, where the foundation had targeted funds. The partnership team developed a model for participatory and empowerment evaluation.

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Bridges to Latino Health: ¡Sí Se Puede!

The Bridges to Latino Health conference run by the The Loyola University Chicago's Public Health Action Project, Graduate School and Stritch School of Medicine outlined the barriers facing Latino community access to health care and facilitated discussion of effective means to address these concerns.

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Brighton Park Community Study 2004

This study seeks to provide the Brighton Park community a greater understanding of the issues and trends in housing, economic and demographic changes in the community. Primarily, this study seeks to identify the challenges and opportunities facing the community.

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