The Center for Housing & Health (CHH) thanks the City of Chicago for its $6 million contribution to the Flexible Housing Pool (FHP) in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget. This funding will sustain rental subsidies and services for neighbors experiencing homelessness at a time when people are under attack from housing policy changes from the Trump administration. We applaud the City’s ongoing leadership with the Flexible Housing Pool.
While this $6 million in funding is short of our ask of $8.6 million, we know that it was a difficult budget year, which ended in profound disagreements between Mayor Johnson and members of City Council. However, in the face of increased rental and housing costs and increasing numbers of Chicagoans experiencing homelessness, the City of Chicago – the Flexible Housing Pool’s largest funder – showed its alignment to fund the Flexible Housing Pool and we are committed to working with the City of Chicago in the future.
The Flexible Housing Pool is a collaborative effort between the City of Chicago, Cook County, and other entities which started in 2018. Since then, the Flexible Housing Pool has:
- Saved public crisis systems over $1.4M
- Decreased utilization of emergency rooms and hospitalizations by 33% while connecting people to stable housing and supportive services
- Helped keep people out of jail
- Improved individual health outcomes
- Created affordable housing units throughout Cook County
The Flexible Housing Pool has kept people housed, healthy, and alive. This is a program that works and is worth investing in. We believe that the City of Chicago and its leadership are committed to protecting all Chicagoans, and we look forward to working with City Council and our Aldermanic allies, the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), and the Johnson administration to find an end to homelessness in our city.
