Rising winter shelter demand: DuPage County board allocates $200,000 while foundation and nonprofits raise funds

A County official said demand for winter shelter in DuPage County has spiked, with an interim housing center in Downers Grove reaching capacity. The official said the number of people experiencing homelessness this winter is three times higher than in previous years and that PADS requested $353,000 to shelter about 70 people for 104 days.

The official recounted that the DuPage Foundation raised $190,000 in a matter of days after the county asked the foundation to appeal to donors. The County Board then allocated $200,000 from the affordable housing fund to assist with sheltering those individuals, the official said.

The official said they had contacted mayors and asked the DuPage Foundation and other partners to collaborate on short-term shelter and food-security options and to examine long-term housing solutions for seniors, people with disabilities, younger professionals and middle-income families who struggle with rising rents and down-payment barriers. The official also said the County Board was being asked to approve another $500,000 this year to help feed families in need.

The official did not identify the specific terms of the funding allocations (for example, whether the county funds are a grant, a reimbursement, a contract, or a one-time transfer), nor did the remarks include a recorded vote or ordinance number for the $200,000 allocation. The address also did not provide detailed shelter capacity numbers beyond the estimate of 70 people or identify which nonprofit would administer the shelter funds.