One of our most significant and innovative programs is at the Margarita Inn

The Margarita Inn in Evanston serves as a hotel-based shelter 365 days a year. There, our residents access a wide range of services designed to advance their long-term housing, health, wellness, career, and educational goals. These include but are not limited to meals, financial literacy classes, substance use disorder support, physical and behavioral health services, child care, transportation to medical appointments, and so much more.

The Margarita has 42 rooms that can provide shelter for up to 65 people at a time. Last year, about 120 individuals lived at the Margarita Inn, 23 of whom were children. More than 80% exited to a housing solution.

Connections and the Margarita Inn

Connections started operating at the Margarita in March 2020, after Governor Pritzker issued a mandatory shelter-in-place order because of the pandemic. This arrangement was initiated at the behest of the City of Evanston and was a catalyst for Connections to eventually shelter more than 300 individuals at three different hotels throughout the city. 

Hotel-based shelter is a new, innovative model for providing shelter using Housing First principles.

By spring 2023, Connections had succeeded in securing a special use permit to continue shelter operations at the Margarita on an ongoing basis, and in fall 2023, completed the purchase of the Margarita Inn with support from Cook County.

Building on a Record of Success

This new approach to ending homelessness has been very effective. In the last two and a half years, roughly 80% of our participants have moved into permanent housing, compared to an average of 39% in the city of Chicago and 40% for shelters across the nation.

Community Input

Connections is committed to working with the surrounding community to ensure that the Margarita Inn is a positive addition to the neighborhood. We signed a Good Neighbor Agreement when we received the permit to continue operating a shelter here, and we hold regular meetings of our Good Neighbor Council to get regular input from community members.

More Information About the Margarita Inn