Following anti-camping debate, regional pilot program set for January 2027

Last year, the Village of Arlington Heights debated a proposed ban on public camping, prompting conversations about the need for more supportive services for people experiencing street homelessness.

 Those conversations helped spark a regional partnership that is set to launch in January 2027. Connections is preparing to work with as many as ten townships and villages across the Northwest suburbs to help people living on the streets get connected to case management.

As part of this program, we're developing a new full-time case manager, who will respond to referrals from participating communities, connect people to the Continuum of Care’s Coordinated Entry System—a community-wide process established under federal guidance to assess housing needs and to help people and families find a path toward stability.

The work will help ensure more people living in the Northwestern suburbs — where there are fewer resources for the homeless — will have a place to call home.