CCH conducts research and data analysis to identify community needs, craft policy solutions, and evaluate the impact of our shared advocacy. We strive to develop directly-impacted people to be leaders in this work.
Homelessness Data Project
Since 2016, CCH has created an annual homeless estimate in Chicago that includes people temporarily staying with others due to economic hardship, or doubled-up. This peer-reviewed, census-based model for estimating doubled-up homelessness was developed by researchers at CCH, Vanderbilt University, and the Heartland Alliance Social IMPACT Research Center.
The Point-in-Time count used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to enumerate homelessness only tallies people in shelters and outdoor locations on one designated night a year. This method woefully undercounts homelessness, causing inaccurate funding allocations and ineffectual policy solutions.
CCH partners with Family Promise, National Network for Youth, and SchoolHouse Connection to advocate for HUD to amend its definition of homelessness to include people living doubled-up. Nine other federal agencies—including the U.S. Department of Education—already use this definition to determine eligibility for services.
Housing Insecurity and Homelessness in Illinois Among the Pregnant and Parenting (HIHIPP)
Homelessness among pregnant and postpartum people and young children and their families is a significant and growing problem in Illinois. Housing insecurity and homelessness while pregnant contributes to an array of adverse maternal health outcomes. Similarly, experiencing homelessness during early childhood years can have lasting impacts on child health and development.
Unfortunately, child and family homelessness is often less visible than homelessness among other populations and is therefore often overlooked by government officials and other community leaders. As a result, national, state, and local responses to persistent homelessness do not adequately address the unique needs and conditions that families experiencing homelessness experience.
To address this critical issue, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Start Early, and the University of Illinois Chicago Center for Research on Women and Gender are collaborating on the Housing Insecurity and Homelessness in Illinois among the Pregnant and Parenting (HIHIPP) project. Through this project, the team developed a 10-year action plan to prevent and end homelessness for expectant parents, young children, and their families in Illinois.
Participatory and Community-Led Research Projects
CCH Mutual Aid Fund Impact Report (2023)
CCH partnered with the Inclusive Economy Lab to complete a 6-month qualitative research project to evaluate the Edrika Fulford Mutual Aid Fund. Our goal was to better understand the impact of low-barrier cash transfer programs while also informing continuous quality improvement of the fund.
- Community Care During Crisis: Report
- Community Care During Crisis: Presentation Slides
- Community Care During Crisis: Webinar Recording
TANF Participatory Research (2022)
CCH and Heartland Alliance completed a three-year participatory research project that examined inequities to accessing the TANF program in Illinois. Five CCH grassroots leaders served on the project’s Research Advisory Board (RAB), working alongside project staff to co-create and implement the research design, data collection tools and processes, and interpretation. Research findings will inform CCH’s future TANF advocacy.
- Resigned to the Process: Report
- Resigned to the Process: Executive Summary
- Resigned to the Process: Webinar Recording
Other CCH research and reports
Available on Issue Lab
