Homelessness in Chicago is closer than many people think. It affects families, children, and neighbors across our city—often quietly and out of sight. Each year, nearly 75,000 Chicagoans experience homelessness, and many of them are families with children.

At Primo Center, we see this reality every day.

Many people assume homelessness means living on the street or in a shelter. But in Chicago, most people experiencing homelessness are temporarily staying with friends or relatives because they cannot afford rent. Families move from couch to couch, crowd into small spaces, or live with constant fear of losing the little stability they have.

This kind of instability is especially hard on children.

Homelessness Is About Housing—and Affordability

Homelessness is not caused by personal failure. It is caused by a lack of affordable housing. Chicago simply does not have enough safe, affordable homes for families with low incomes. For years, the number of families who need affordable housing has been far greater than the number of units available.

At the same time, Chicago has lost many small, lower-cost apartment buildings—once a critical housing option for working families. As these homes disappear, families are left with fewer choices and higher rents, making it harder to stay housed when life throws a challenge their way.

The Impact Is Not Equal

Homelessness does not affect all communities the same way. Black families in Chicago experience homelessness at much higher rates than others. This is the result of decades of unfair housing policies that blocked Black families from building wealth and accessing stable housing.

Today, these inequalities mean that many families are living paycheck to paycheck. One crisis—like a job loss, illness, or rent increase—can push them into homelessness.

Evictions Are Rising—and Families Are Paying the Price

Since COVID-19 eviction protections ended, eviction filings have risen sharply in Cook County. Most enforced evictions happen in majority-Black neighborhoods, including Englewood, Austin and Hermosa—communities Primo Center proudly serves.

An eviction does more than remove a family from their home. It can disrupt children’s schooling, harm mental health, and make it harder to find stable housing in the future.

How Primo Center Responds

Primo Center exists to break this cycle.

We provide safe shelter, housing support, early childhood programs, youth services, and mental health care to help families move from crisis to stability. We meet families where they are—during their most vulnerable moments—and walk alongside them as they rebuild.

But the need is growing, and we cannot do this work alone.

You Can Help Keep Families Housed

Homelessness is solvable. When families receive support early—before a crisis becomes a catastrophe—outcomes improve. Children thrive. Parents regain stability. Communities grow stronger.

Your donation to Primo Center helps:

• Keep families safely housed
• Support children’s emotional and educational needs
• Prevent future homelessness before it starts

Right now, families across Chicago need your help.

Please consider making a donation today to Primo Center.
Your generosity ensures that families facing homelessness are met with dignity, care, and hope—and that no child has to grow up without a safe place to call home.

Together, we can build a Chicago where families don’t just survive—but truly thrive.

*Based on Inclusive Economy Lab Summit, University of Chicago – October 2025