Champaign Township Strides Shelter and Community Services Information

City of Champaign Township STRIDES SHELTER 70 E WASHINGTON ST, CHAMPAIGN IL 61820 217-403-6150

Strides Role in the Community While Strides Shelter is our only low barrier shelter in Champaign County, it works as an arm of a much larger system which includes multiple partners all working to address homelessness. Coordinated Intake for Housing: UWCC Housing Map (kumu.io/kthomasstagg/coordinated-intake-for-housing#uwcc-housing-map) In January of 2024, the Point In Time Count identified 237 individuals that were in Emergency or Transitional Shelters and another 42 individuals that were actively unsheltered in Champaign County.

Strides Emergency Shelter Bed Capacity 74 (50 male, 14 female, 10 emergency cots) Separate sleeping areas for male and female identifying guests Open 24/7/365 Low Barrier no eligibility requirements Access to food, showers, laundry, transportation assistance, hygiene supplies, case management and on-site services from select community partners Intake Process Guest completes an intake to be added to the waitlist (intakes available from 8am-7pm) Bed claim occurs between 7pm and 10pm After 10 pm, any unclaimed beds are forfeited and opened for guests on the waitlist Residents assigned to a permanent bed are assigned a case manager within 15 days Storage Guests are permitted one 30-gallon container for storage of personal belongings

FY24 Service Recap 739 unique individuals served between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Age Range 1 Gender 2 6 2 2 Male Identifying 6 70 169 Female Identifying 207 140 Transgender Nonbinary Culturally Specific Identity 354 519 Multiple Gender 18-30 31-50 51-61 62 and Older Unknown/Client Declined Sharing

FY24 Service Recap Continued Race Challenges/Barriers 500 Hispanic/Latin(a/o/x) 20 400 Unknown/Client Declined Sharing 16 278 300 224 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 1 200 136 130 115 Middle Eastern/North African 2 63 100 10 Indigenous/American Indian 9 0 Asian/Asian American 6 Multi Racial 56 White 290 Black/African American 339 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 29 individuals made multiple efforts at mental health and substance use treatment 41 individuals identified as a Veteran.

FY24 Service Recap Continued Most individuals reuniting with family or friends moved on from Strides in 30 days or less. Individuals moving onto a housing program average a stay of 3-6 months. Known Exit Locations Income at Exit Emergency Shelter 2 3112 2 3 Sober Living 1 SSI/SSDI Jail/Prison 2 Earned Income Long Term Treatment 2 VA Pension 53 Retirement Nursing Home/Assisted Living 6 Alimony/Spouse Benefits Transitional Housing 17 Unemployment Rental with or without subsidy 26 51 Other Pension Family/Friends 31 General Assistance 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 # of Individuals

Additional Services Day Center A drop-in center providing a variety of needs to community residents Guests may enter at the Market Street entrance from 8am until 5pm. Warming/cooling center Access to free laundry and shower facilities Access to notary and community partners on site Rapid Rehousing 11 Permanent Housing Units Provides housing navigation and case management to individuals moving out of homelessness and into permanent housing Deposit and Tenant Based Rental Assistance Utility Assistance Participants are required to attend tenant rights and budgeting workshops

Current and upcoming projects at Strides Shelter Guest Forums Monthly meeting time for shelter guests to meet with leadership and share feedback, highlight their needs and build community Voter Registration Assistance Ongoing dates until election day Beautification Works Days October 5 A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came out! October 19 The National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day takes place in December lining up with the Winter Solstice. Strides will hold a memorial day in November due to harsh winters. November 2

City of Champaign Township 53 E Logan St, Champaign, IL General Assistance $340 cash assistance per month to those without income that are applying for social security income Rental Assistance One time assistance in a two-year period for rental arrears or move-in assistance for those moving out of homelessness Up to $800 in assistance paid directly to the landlord Must live within City of Champaign Township limits

Proposed Tax Levy Increase and Impacts This November you will have an opportunity to vote on the City of Champaign Township's tax referendum. "Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the City of Champaign Township be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.1786% above the limiting rate for the purpose of maintaining a 24/7, low barrier shelter and providing for Assessor's Office needs for levy year 2023 and be equal to 0.2203% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2024?" In 2020, our partner Cunningham Township passed a tax levy increase of 0.3015%. Since then, Cunningham Township has been able to stabilize their transitional housing programs including their family shelter. We have growing support from the community including the Continuum of Service Providers for the Homeless and the Champaign County AFLCIO.

Proposed Impacts of Tax Levy Increase In 2023, a property valued at $100,000 paid a rate of about $13.90 towards the Township which produced roughly $933,000 in revenue for the Township. The approximate amount of additional taxes a house valued at $100,000 is estimated to be $59.53 For less than $75/year, we can ensure that our neighbors without an address have somewhere to rest Roughly 3.4 million would be allocated towards Strides Shelter. Increase staffing numbers Permanent Rapid Rehousing and Street Outreach programs Computer lab for guest use with IT and navigation support Increased funds for guest food, transportation, hygiene, shelter linens and other supplies New funding to provide housewarming stipends including mattresses

Proposed Impacts of Tax Levy Increase, continued In addition to Strides, the Tax Levy would impact City of Champaign Township's General Assistance and Rental Assistance programs, as well as the Assessor's budget. $200,000 to stabilize the Rental Assistance Program and increase award amounts from $800 to $1000 supporting 200 households $70,000 to increase General Assistance awards from $340 to $425 and match the State's current rate $85,000 added to the Assessor's budget Upcoming Tax Levy Info Sessions Friday, October 11, Champaign Public Library 12:30-1:30pm Saturday, October 12, Douglass Branch Champaign Public Library 11am-12:30pm

Who to Contact Charlene Murray, Director of Operations & Community Relations Donations, volunteering, partnerships and events charlene.murray@champaignil.gov Carla Zarnsy, Director of Programming Program information carla.zarnsy@champaignil.gov Shaya Robinson, Director of Guest Relations Host a guest forum shaya.robinson@champaignil.gov Jazmine Hernandez, Deputy Supervisor Community feedback, internships and grants jazmine.hernandez@champaignil.gov Kyle Patterson, Township Supervisor All the above kyle.patterson@champaignil.gov