The ceremony held at Lake Street Church in Evanston symbolized more than a renovation project for Danita. It signified her return to the Hilda’s Place shelter, which provided refuge during her time of need 37 years ago. She expressed gratitude, saying, “[Our family wasn’t] looking for someone to do everything for us. We just needed a little help bridging that final gap between working hard and being able to get into our home.”
Danita highlighted the assistance she received from Connections for the Homeless and Interfaith Action of Evanston, which helped secure her family’s apartment and practical necessities.
For over 40 years, Hilda’s Place has been one of Illinois’ longest-running emergency shelters, located in the basement of Lake Street Church. Dignitaries such as OPEH Chief Homelessness Officer Christine Haley and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky participated in the groundbreaking for the shelter’s renovation.
COVID-19 shifted Hilda’s Place’s operations. It now runs as a daytime service center. With a grant exceeding $6.5 million, the shelter will once again offer overnight services by spring 2027. Connections for the Homeless CEO Betty Bogg emphasized, “Homelessness is not the result of personal failure. It is the predictable result of systems that do not work for everyone.”
The project will add 30 shelter beds with facilities such as showers and laundry. During renovations, the day center will transition to the first and second floors of Lake Street Church. Connections for the Homeless plans a rebranding to “Housing Connections” to reflect its dedication to Evanston.
Funding includes a $2 million federal grant obtained by Rep. Jan Schakowsky and other local sources. At the event, several speakers acknowledged Connections’ collaboration with faith-based groups to foster affordable housing.
“Sometimes we must do this important work without the support that we would like,” said Rev. Michael Woolf, senior minister at Lake Street Church since 2019.
The YIGBY movement, “Yes in God’s Backyard,” advocates using vacant church land for low-income housing. Despite zoning and approval challenges, YIGBY seeks legislative support to hasten church-related projects.
Rev. Woolf urged, “We are not going to back away from this fight. More has to be done at the local, state and federal levels to make these partnerships possible.” Dan Cox, Chair of Connections for the Homeless Board, remarked on the importance of resolving community homelessness.
Christine Haley noted a bill promoting housing access stalled in the Illinois General Assembly. Officials plan to push for reforms in the upcoming legislative session to streamline processes for affordable housing projects.