2023 Homeless Point in Time & Housing Inventory Count

Each year we are required by our federal funders (US. Department of Housing & Urban Development) to conduct a Point-in-Time count of anyone in our service area who is homeless (sheltered or unsheltered) on a single night in January. This year our count will be conducted beginning at 3:00 pm on January 23rd for a 24 hour period. Anyone living in shelters, transitional housing units, or places not meant for human habitation will be counted. For those living outside, street teams will be traveling throughout the service area looking for people who are unsheltered. Anyone found will be asked to complete a survey and volunteers will attempt to connect them with homeless services.

At the same time, agencies that provide housing for the homeless will be doing an inventory count of their occupied units for the Housing Inventory County.

All of this data helps to inform funding decisions and planning for our service area.

2022 Homeless Memorial

The Northern Illinois Homeless Coalition will hold its annual Memorial Service for the Homeless on Wednesday, December 21st at 4:30pm at Beattie Park in downtown Rockford. The service will be held in the gazebo near the river.

The event is held in recognition of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, which takes place each year on the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice (usually December 21st). The service is to remember homeless individuals in the northern Illinois region who have passed away during the previous year. This year, agencies have identified approximately 20 homeless persons who died in 2022. The service will include a short reading, music and the reading of the names of those who are being remembered.

A special thank you to the Rockford Park District for the use of their property and for their assistance with the service and to all those that participated in the event. The Christmas tree and ornament display with the names of the decedents will be placed in the lobby of the Park District’s Webbs Norman Center at 401 S. Main Street, Rockford, IL.

All community members including friends and families of the deceased are welcome to attend.

2023 Point in Time Count

The annual point in time count of the homeless is tentatively scheduled to take place on Monday 1/23/2023 beginning at 3:00 pm and going for a 24 hour period. Agencies services the homeless will conduct electronic surveys with persons in their programs. A street count will also be conducted between the hours of 7:00-10:00 pm that evening, where groups of volunteers will go out into the community to places known to be frequented by the homeless. If you have any questions or information, please feel free to email angie.walker@rockfordil.gov.

2021 Point-in-time count to be held 01/25/2021

Membership of the NIHC will participate in the annual Point in Time count of the homeless beginning at 3:00 pm on Monday 1/25/21 for a 24 hour period. In that time, all sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons will be counted using a short survey. From 7:00-10:00 their will be a street count conducted in partnership with the Coalition, City of Rockford, Rockford Fire, and the Park District Police. All info will be collected and prepared for public information and to fulfill HUD Reporting requirements.

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2020 Rock River Homeless Coalition Membership

As of 1/15/2020, The RRHC is seeking new members for the Coalition. All are welcome to join. New applications will be available soon.

2019 Point-in-Time Count

This year's Point-in-Time count of the homeless has been scheduled for Monday, January 27, 2020 beginning at 3:00 pm for a 24 hour period. At that time, there will be a sheltered count of all homeless who are engaged in shelter programs, transitional housing programs, or in Rapid-Rehousing programs. An unsheltered street count will be conducted for all homeless who are residing on the streets, in cars, or other places not meant for human habitation. On that evening a group of volunteers will go out into the community looking for unsheltered person and will conduct surveys. If you have any questions please contact Angie Walker at angie.walker@rockfordil.gov or call 779-348-7567.

Formerly known as the Rock River Homeless Coalition