Housing Programs

Programs can change depending on community need, available funds and may be seasonal.

Housing Assistance Programs

  • Rapid Rehousing: Assists persons who are literally homeless (living on the streets or in shelters).
  • Homeless Prevention: Assists persons who have experienced a short-term crisis beyond their control with rent or mortgage assistance to remain housed.
  • Condemnation Relocation: Assists persons whose housing has been condemned with one month payment of rent at a new location.

Homeless Single Point of Entry

All literally homeless persons (on streets or in shelters) as well as homeless youth, veterans and survivors of domestic violence access housing services through Chance4Change, a single point of entry for the homeless in our community. They are assessed for permanent housing and a housing plan is developed.

If you are homeless and living on the streets or in an unsafe living situation, please call the Homeless Hotline at Community Action at 844-710-6919 and press 5, or stop in our office during office hours at 612 N Church Street, Rockford.

Foster Youth Housing Assistance Program

Youth who have aged out of foster care aged 18 to 21 who are either homeless or having problems with housing receive support and services to help them become housed, no referral is needed. These same services are available to Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) involved families with a referral from their caseworker.

Continuum of Care / Rock River Homeless Coalition

The Rock River Homeless Coalition serves as the HUD recognized Continuum of Care, the decision-making body for homeless program coordination for the jurisdiction serving both Winnebago and Boone Counties. Community Services provides support and technical assistance to the Rock River Homeless Coalition. Community Services also is responsible for coordinating the application process for the HUD Continuum of Care competitive grant funding that awards funds to organizations that provide homeless services and serves as administrator of those grants.

The Coalition includes a broad representation of relevant organizations and agencies as well as interested individuals charged with:

  • Community wide planning and strategic use of resources to address homelessness.
  • Improving coordination and integration with mainstream resources and other programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness.
  • Promoting the quick re-housing of homeless individuals and families
  • Improving data collection and performance measurement to ensure program success

For more information and for the latest postings about grant applications, funding and projects, go to the Rock River Homeless Coalition website.