2020
- 12/01: Evanston approves new 16-story apartment building downtown with 34 units of affordable housing in Chicago Tribune
- 12/10: Community Spotlight: Connections for the Homeless in City of Evanston - Evanston E-News
- 11/05: In Focus: In an industry ravaged by COVID-19, Evanston hotels struggle to make ends meet in The Daily Northwestern
- 11/05: Businesses go cashless, but risk alienating low-income individuals in The Daily Northwestern
- 11/18: Despite city, community response, eviction threat persist in The Daily Northwestern
- 11/25: Evanstonians Giving This Thanksgiving in Evanston RoundTable
- 10/21: Community leader help people experiencing homelessness vote in The Daily Northwestern
- 8/03: Gridlock in D.C. Means more homelessness in Evanston in Evanston Now
- 7/27: City Council to vote on aiding homeless in Evanston Now
- 5/11: During the Pandemic, Swanky Gold Coast Hotel Becomes a Safe Haven for People Living on the Street and Other Living at Risk in Chicago Tribune
- 5/15: Connections Prepares for Next Stage in Evanston RoundTable
- 5/28: Connections Determined to Maintain Hotel Program for Homeless Despite Apparent City Pullout in Evanston RoundTable
- 4/14: Evanston hotels are being used to house homeless during coronavirus pandemic From The Evanston Review
- 4/15: Hotels Shelter Homeless During Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Order From Evanston Patch
- 3/18: Homeless shelters brace for coronavirus outbreak amid closures, larger prevention efforts From Chicago Tribune
- 3/25: Community Groups Collaborate To House Homeless Amid Coronavirus From Evanston Patch
- 3/25: Evanston Homelessness Groups Collaborate on Plan in Response to Covid-19 Virus From Evanston RoundTable
- 3/30: “This virus isn’t going to go away” — Evanston organizations rush to assist the city’s vulnerable homeless population From The Daily Northwestern
2021
- 1/6: As need for shelter explodes during pandemic, Evanston-based agency receives $80k from public, private sectors to feed households in Chicago Tribune
- 1/6: Funding target reached in homeless assistance program in Evanston Now
- 1/6: County Partnership with Connections to Beef Up Food Delivery Program to Residents in Transition in Evanston RoundTable
- 1/6: Local Chefs Feed Formerly Homeless Through New Program in Evanston Patch
- 1/12: Council approves grant for rent assistance program in The Daily Northwestern
- 3/1: Cook County leans into a client-centered approach to make strides throughout the Covid crisis in Community Solutions Blog
- 3/7: Interdependence: Restaurants, Customers and Community Rally for Each Other in Evanston RoundTable
- 3/9: For Advocates Serving Homeless, Outreach Efforts Can't Wait for Virus to Go Away in WTTW News
- 4/8: Joining Forces Opposes the 'Three-Unrelated' Ordinance in Evanston RoundTable
- 4/14: Pandemic Silver Lining: Ending Homelessness in Evanston in Evanston RoundTable
- 4/14: Stimulus checks prove inaccessible for people experiencing homelessness in The Daily Northwestern
- 4/19: Surprising Silver Lining: In fight against homelessness, hotel settings could be a game-changing model in Chicago Tribune
- 5/26: Connections for the Homeless honors participants, volunteers and staff in The Daily Northwestern
- 7/7: Expert: Pandemic’s housing impact could last two more years
- 7/14: Advocates Call for More Resources for Homelessness as Eviction Ban Ends in WTTW
- 10/12: Donate Your Time and Money to These 10 Chicago Nonprofits
2022
- 3/11 Connections for the Homeless Looks to Buy the Margarita Inn in The Patch
- 3/14 Emotional meeting about homeless housing at Margarita Inn draws hundreds in Evanston RoundTable
- 3/17 Margarita Press Release
- 3/18 Nonprofit to pursue permit needed in Evanston RoundTable
- 3/18 Connections for the Homeless Needs New Permit For Margarita Inn in Evanston Patch
- 3/19 City: Hotel at Margarita not permitted in Evanston Now
- 3/22 From hotel to homeless shelter: A peek into the Margarita Inn in Evanston RoundTable
- 5/27 Homelessness Interrupted: How Chicago took innovative approaches to house people on the margins during the pandemic in Crain's
- 5/23 In Focus: As Connections for the Homeless looks to purchase the Margarita Inn, residents remain divided on the buildings future in The Daily Northwestern
- 7/25 Block Party, a 'thank you' to the Fifth Ward, was a big hit in Evanston RoundTable
- 11/30 What the Margarita Inn means to the residents who live there in Evanston RoundTable
- 12/1 LUC backs Margarita Inn special use in Evanston Now
- 12/1 Land Use Commission recommends Margarita Inn’s ‘special use’ status in Evanston RoundTable
2023
- 2/08 Biss, homeless group leader sign Margarita Inn agreement in Evanston RoundTable
- 2/09 Letter to the editor: Why I support the Margarita Inn in Evanston RoundTable
- 2/11 Court delays Margarita Inn permit in Evanston RoundTable
- 3/03 Another Delay for Margarita decision in Evanston Now
- 4/24 Open letter to the mayor, city council and LUC: We support Connections’ application for a Special Use Permit in Evanston RoundTable
- 5/07 Margarita Inn shelter application returns to City Council agenda in Evanston RoundTable
- 5/09 Council advances plan to establish permanent Margarita Inn homeless shelter in Evanston RoundTable
- 5/12 ‘It’s a mess’: City housing experts say zoning code, comprehensive plan need updates in Evanston RoundTable
- 5/18 Three Years of Shelter Transformation in Cook County: Press Release
For press inquiries contact Nia Tavoularis, Director of Development, at niat@connect2home.org or 847.475.7070 x129.
HOMELESSNESS
HOUSING FIRST
- https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/
- https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Housing-First-Research.pdf
- https://www.headinghomeinc.org/housing-first-model/
- https://www.usich.gov/news/four-clarifications-about-housing-first/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7427255/
Examples of the Housing First Model in action
Historical Articles