CARBONDALE – The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH), in partnership with the City of Carbondale, will host a Town Hall and Listening Session on Wednesday, February 26, at 3:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Carbondale.
“This Town Hall allows us to strengthen the work being done in partnership with the Carbondale community,” said IDHS Secretary Dulce M. Quintero. “I am eager to hear from the people of Southern Illinois on how we can continue the work of preventing and ending homelessness. Safe housing is a human right.”
The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH), housed within IDHS, is leading the implementation of Illinois’ statewide strategy to prevent and end homelessness. OPEH works with State of Illinois agencies to coordinate strategies and strengthen community partnerships to expand access to stable, permanent housing for Illinois residents experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
“Local insight is essential,” said Illinois’ Chief Homelessness Officer Christine Haley. “We want to hear directly from Carbondale residents, service providers, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness to ensure Illinois’ strategy to prevent and end homelessness is responsive to the realities seen in communities across Southern Illinois.”
The event will begin with an announcement from IDHS regarding recent support for the Carbondale Warming Center. Representatives will then present updated statewide research on homelessness trends and outline Illinois’ comprehensive strategy to strengthen prevention efforts, expand housing pathways, and build a more coordinated safety net.
The Town Hall and Listening Session will take place at First Presbyterian Church, 310 S. University Avenue, Carbondale. Doors open at 3:15 p.m., and the program begins promptly at 3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. OPEH is holding a series of listening sessions like the one in Carbondale to get input about the state’s housing and homelessness response system from people with lived experience of homelessness, the general public, housing providers, and public officials. Contact Dianah McGreehan, Director of Violence Prevention Programs, at dmcgreehan@carbondaleil.gov or 618-457-3282 for more information.
