The Champaign County Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless (CSPH) and the Community Coalition are convening the “Summit on Homelessness: A Community Conversation” on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. The Summit will run from 9am to 3pm at the Champaign Public Library (200 W. Green Street, Robeson Room A&B) and features a keynote address at 10am from Christine Haley, Chief Homelessness Officer with the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.
The purpose of the Summit is to review current homeless services, identify service gaps, and discuss next steps in improving care of unhoused individuals. It will be led by Katie Harmon, Continuum of Care Coordinator with the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission; Beverly Baker and Javaite Burton with the United Way of Champaign County; Tracy Parsons, facilitator of the Champaign County Community Coalition; and John Ruffin and Nina Sibley with the City of Champaign’s Neighborhood Services.
“We are excited to bring community members together to have a collective conversation on how our community can address homelessness,” says Harmon. “We hope to continue this conversation in the days and months following the event.”
Along with the keynote address, the Summit will include a homeless services overview, a lunch presentation on Champaign County Homeless Systems, and a roundtable discussion focused on the emergency shelter waitlist, preparation for extreme weather and expanding capacity, addressing equity issues as they relate to the unhoused community, and fair housing and affordable housing.
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About the Champaign County Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless
The Champaign County Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless (CSPH) is a consortium of 44 non-profit and government agencies, faith-based organizations, and businesses committed to ending homelessness in Champaign County. CSPH welcomes new members, including agencies, faith-based groups, businesses, and interested community members searching for rewarding volunteer opportunities. The Continuum meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 3pm. Those interested in joining can contact Katie Harmon at 217- 239-5942 or [email protected].