In 2004, a community strategic planning effort resulted in the development of the 10-Year Strategic Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, 2004-2014. The plan placed a strong emphasis on coordination efforts but little infrastructure was built following the plan’s completion to ensure its goals could be met. Sixteen years later, in 2020, a full-time coordinator for the Heartland Continuum of Care was hired with support from the city of Springfield and the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln.
When a renewed strategic planning effort began in 2020, an emphasis was placed on how to build a strong collaborative coalition that represented the full community and not only develop the plan but to also ensure its implementation. A key initial step in implementing the Springfield and Sangamon County 2022–2028 Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness was the development of a new backbone agency to serve as the “operating system” for coordinating efforts, improving data, developing new initiatives and increasing funding to meet the plan’s goals. Heartland HOUSED was created to serve this role, with commitments from the city of Springfield, Sangamon County and Capital Township to provide funding to hire staff who would “coordinate the system of care community-wide and ensure support for implementation of plan strategies.”
As we reach the strategic plan’s midway point, one clear reality is that much of the success achieved in the last two years would not have been possible without the support provided by the city, county and Capital Township. This system-level support has enabled Heartland HOUSED to hire staff and build the infrastructure necessary to improve the effectiveness of our system and sustain continuous improvement efforts. While much work remains, our community has seen clear wins in moving toward more effectively addressing homelessness.
• Between 2022 and 2025, Springfield and Sangamon County have seen a 248% increase in funding from state and federal sources for supportive housing and homelessness prevention. Funding has grown from $647,667 in 2022 to $2,488,439 in 2025.
• Supportive housing opportunities have increased by 227% since 2019. In 2019, only 94 people were served in supportive housing opportunities and in 2024 that number increased to 308. The winter of 2024-2025 marked the first winter the city of Springfield did not have to establish a winter overflow shelter due to increased capacity at Helping Hands.
• The Heartland Housing Helpline was established to create an easier path to rental and utility assistance support and make direct referrals to Homelessness Prevention and other rental assistance funds.
• Street outreach efforts have increased with additional full-time staff and the creation of the Heartland Connect mobile app.
• In May of 2025, Heartland HOUSED and the Heartland Continuum of Care were certified as achieving quality data status by Community Solutions’ Built for Zero initiative for the all single adults, veteran and chronically homeless populations. Community Solutions works with more than 156 communities across the country, and Heartland represents only the 11th U.S. community to reach this achievement for all single adults in their system.
The work happening in Sangamon County was recognized at this year’s Home Illinois Summit, with Heartland HOUSED receiving the Continuum of Care Recognition of service award. Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness’ Chief Homelessness Officer Christine Haley stated, “I have been continually impressed by the commitment of Heartland HOUSED to advancing new partnerships, their engagement with landlords, and their commitment to street outreach. Their small but mighty team are true and committed leaders in the continuum space.”
The Heartland Continuum of Care receives $50,000 per year in a planning grant from the federal government from this work and many other continuums have few other resources to develop system leadership beyond what the planning grant allows. The investment in Heartland HOUSED from the city of Springfield, Sangamon County and Capital Township is what has allowed our community to develop the strong system and infrastructure necessary to continue implementing our strategic plan and continue pursuing improvements to create a more effective system and solution to homelessness.
Even with these advancements there is much work to be done to develop services at the scale necessary to meet local needs. Particular gaps in services available to better address mental health challenges and to serve people with severe mental illness along with increasing rental costs are just a couple that Heartland Continuum partners continue to navigate. Federal funding and other dynamics continuously evolve but with ongoing and growing community support, we are better positioned to navigate challenges and to continue making positive progress than we have ever been before.
Josh Sabo is the executive director of Heartland HOUSED.