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Supervisor Chaney says Homebase data show half of Champaign County’s homeless were first-time; township outlines strategic-plan rollout
Summary
Supervisor Chaney reported Homebase consultant findings and local shelter operations at the Cunningham Township Board meeting, saying Homebase’s analysis showed about half of people counted in Champaign County’s homeless dataset were identified as homeless for the first time; she described grants, shelter capacity and next steps for a June plan launch.
Supervisor Chaney told the Cunningham Township Board on March 9 that a Homebase-led strategic-planning kickoff convened about 150 stakeholders and produced findings the township will use to shape a countywide plan to reduce homelessness.
"Half of the people who were homeless in Champaign County last year were homeless for the first time," Chaney said, citing Homebase’s analysis of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Chaney said the consultant’s comparative work showed strong family outcomes ("80 percent plus" moving into independent housing) but weaker outcomes for individuals.
Why it matters: Chaney said the finding — that a large share of people are new to homelessness — would change the township’s focus on prevention (eviction prevention, trauma and domestic-violence response, and short-term assistance) rather than only on long-term chronic services. She asked board members to complete a survey and participate in planning events ahead of a planned June launch and town hall.
Chaney described existing local programs and recent funding moves. She said the township had about $42,173.24 in town-fund expenditures and $231,237.96 in general-assistance expenditures for the Jan. 6–30, 2026 billing period (totaling $273,411.20) and noted that staff need time to reconcile credit-card and other entries before monthly reporting.
On program growth, Chaney said the township had applied for about $143,000 from an ICJF fund — described in the meeting as "marijuana money" — to expand the Careers in Motion workforce program and increase cohort size from about 14 participants toward a goal of 25. She said the housing authority had issued another grant opportunity for roughly $100,000 to $100,500 to support rental assistance of up to eight months.
Shelter operations and capacity: Chaney said emergency housing has shifted toward an armory-based shelter, where the township has been able to keep about 70 people sheltered and has extended the armory agreement through May 23. She said hotel placements have been tapered as funds were redirected to the armory, and that neighborhood complaints about shelter operations had been reduced to zero in the most recent reporting period.
Data and next steps: Board members pressed Chaney on the "first-time" finding. A trustee asked whether the number referred to Urbana specifically; Chaney said the Homebase figures referenced Champaign County and come from the HMIS database, and that the township will perform a deeper dive to understand drivers such as evictions, housing loss from fires, and domestic violence. Chaney said earlier slide materials showed an initial dataset of about 104 individuals (with a larger unique-person pool approaching 200) and that family wait times for housing assistance are currently around 92 days compared with under 30 at better-performing times.
Chaney also updated the board on shelter partners: CO Dome opened a Mattis Avenue site with 26 spaces (about 10 units she called "available" for higher-need placements), and Hope Village is expected to begin taking participants at the end of the summer and operate through the end of the year.
"We're gonna do a deep dive around that because that's clearly a concern," Chaney said of the first-time homelessness finding. She said CSPH (the local planning body) will meet the following day and urged trustees to join planning activities.
What happens next: Chaney said the township will circulate Homebase materials (a PowerPoint and a one-page summary) and hold an additional town hall at the planned June launch; staff will also analyze HMIS records and shelter outcomes to pinpoint causes and possible prevention strategies.
Sources and attribution: Quotes and program details above are attributed to Supervisor Chaney as she spoke to the Cunningham Township Board during the March 9 meeting. Data references (HMIS, Homebase presentation, specific dollar figures and dates) were provided by Chaney in her report.
