Center for Urban Research and Learning

Loyola University Chicago

Here you will find all of CURL's research projects and publications.

Evaluation of Chicago's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness

(2/1/2009 - 12/31/2012)

Researchers from the CURL and the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago and the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration formed a research partnership with the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness and the City of Chicago to implement a two year evaluation of the City of Chicago’s Plan to End Homelessness. Chicago’s plan, initiated in 2003, claims to radically transform Chicago’s homeless system from one that manages homelessness to one that ends homelessness by moving people quickly into permanent housing. The Plan ­­–created by a collaboration of homeless service agencies, people who have been homeless, and government and philanthropic partners –was the first homelessness intervention strategy of its magnitude officially initiated by a major large city in the United States and has reached its midpoint. 

With funding from the City of Chicago, The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, the Michael Reese Health Trust, the Polk Brothers Foundation and the McCormick Foundation, this evaluation sought to gain an understanding of how Chicago's Plan has affected Chicago's homeless system and how those changes directly impact the lives of the homeless residents it serves. 

Working with various social service agencies that provide homelessness services, the research team evaluated the programs and models that have been put into place under the Chicago Plan and provide data to make necessary mid-course corrections and improve implementation going forward. The four key components of the project were a qualitative study of homeless clients, a longitudinal client survey, a homeless service agency survey, and a service inventory. 

Initial Results:

Interim Results:

 Final Results:

Media:

 Research Team:

  • C. George, CURL

  • S. Grossman, School of Social Work

  • M. Sosin, University of Chicago

  • J. Hilvers, CURL

  • J. Davis, CURL

  • C. Rumpf, CURL

  • R. Miller, CURL

  • K. Patel, CURL

  • D. Watson, CURL

  • W. Bolton, CURL

  • D. Guelespe, Graduate Fellow

  • M. Rivers, Graduate Fellow

  • M. Rojek, Graduate Fellow

  • M. Madeeha, Graduate Fellow

  • C. Shipman, Graduate Fellow

  • M. Cuddeback, Graduate Fellow

  • D. Wagner, Graduate Fellow

  • B. Byrnes, Graduate Fellow

  • D. Lewis, Graduate Fellow

  • E. Brown, Graduate Fellow

  • H. Cheung, Graduate Student Volunteer

  • S. Chacko, Graduate Student Volunteer

  • T. Sacco, Graduate Student Volunteer

  • E. Nurmi, Undergraduate Student Volunteer

Community Partners: