A Strategic Move
Chicago House is excited to announce our new three-year strategic plan that builds on decades of experience and recent lessons learned about housing as healthcare. With HIV increasingly affecting both older adults and unhoused youth, the updated plan focuses on four priorities: housing and health navigation, aging with HIV, financial sustainability, and building internal capacity to support long-term growth and impact.
This next phase marks a shift from siloed services to long-term, coordinated care. Using a Continuum of Housing approach, Chicago House will meet people where they are and connect them to the right level of support as their needs evolve. Whether facing short-term instability or managing chronic conditions, the goal is to intervene effectively and consistently. Each housing setting—from transitional and rapid rehousing to permanent supportive housing and future aging-in-place units—is linked with services that support health, employment, and social connection.
“The Continuum of Housing Strategic Plan reimagines how we build on our model in a time of rapid change,” said Michael Herman, CEO. “We are reinforcing what works and making targeted investments where the need is greatest. This includes breaking ground next summer on new housing for individuals and families in East Garfield Park, following the preservation of 66 HIV-specific units across three buildings in North Lawndale earlier this year.”
This new direction is informed by the four-year plan adopted in 2020, which aligned our services with the shifting demographics of HIV in the city. That plan prioritized five strategies: aligning geographic reach with need, supporting vulnerable populations, diversifying funding, becoming the most reliable housing provider for people impacted by HIV, and advancing Illinois’ Getting to Zero initiative.
Guided by those commitments, Chicago House expanded our housing footprint in neighborhoods with high HIV prevalence and opened new offices across the South and West Sides, including sites embedded within local health systems. We also launched innovative programs like Housing Opportunities Means Everything (HOME), which connects Black and Latinx men at elevated risk with housing and HIV prevention. Since its launch, 99% of HOME participants have maintained their HIV-negative status.
“As a Board, we believe these strategies don’t just reflect our values and amplify our clients’ voices—they meet the urgency of this moment,” said Lindsay Gaskins, Board Chair of Chicago House. “This strategic plan empowers us to grow with bold purpose and unwavering accountability at a time when our communities need both more than ever.”
Stay tuned for more details about the Continuum of Housing Strategic Plan in the coming weeks as we share how Chicago House is building on a strong foundation to meet the future with care.