Connections receives $2 million to renovate, reopen Hilda’s Place shelter

Local nonprofit Connections for the Homeless has received a significant contribution toward renovating and reopening the Hilda’s Place homeless shelter at Lake Street Church.

The gift was presented at a press conference Monday – symbolically, at least.

“Let me get the fake check,” U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky (D-9th District) said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Schakowsky secured $2 million for the Hilda’s Place project as part of the 2023 federal omnibus funding package. The project is one of 15 receiving a total of $26.24 million from Schakowsky in Community Project Funding, often called “earmarks,” which members of Congress direct to specific projects in their states and districts.

Hilda’s Place, named for its late founding director Hilda Carper, is housed in the basement of Lake Street Church, 607 Lake St., and is a collaborative effort between Connections and Interfaith Action of Evanston. It operated as an overnight men’s shelter until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when it shifted to daytime drop-in hours to provide services and case management to anyone who needs them.

Separate from Hilda’s Place, Interfaith Action operates an annual rotation of overnight shelters from October to May, hosted by member houses of worship. At Monday’s press conference, Council Member Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) said it was clear that Hilda’s Place needs to return as an overnight shelter after this year’s rotation ended on May 21.

“My phone started ringing on the 21st in a way that it was not ringing on the 20th, my emails were increasing: ‘There are people on the streets; what are we doing about it?’” Nieuwsma said. “What we’re doing [at Hilda’s Place] is the solution to that problem, and it’s a solution not only for those folks who need the services … it’s a solution for the neighbors of the Fourth Ward, it’s a solution for the community of Evanston.”

The new overnight shelter at Hilda’s Place will have between 30 and 50 beds, according to Elle Ullum, Connections’ director of community engagement. She said during a tour of the space that although it has remained open for drop-in services, it is in need of major repairs and renovations.

“Some of the things that hold us back are the fact that we’re not accessible. It’s really difficult to get down the stairs,” Ullum said. “Plumbing’s an issue. Our plumbing goes down. Our offices are actually on the second floor, and we get notified quite often that we don’t have plumbing, or it’s going to be shut down for the weekend.”

Schakowsky’s earmark will be added to Connections’ $20 million capital campaign, which seeks $10 million each in government and private support to invest in Hilda’s Place, the Margarita Inn and Connections’ primary offices at 2121 Dewey Ave. Ullum said that while the capital campaign has a year to go, renovations to Hilda’s Place will likely take place over the next three years.

Over 100 homeless people here, city estimates

During the press conference, Connections CEO Betty Bogg thanked Schakowsky for her work securing the earmark, and thanked Interfaith Action for its partnership. She said the return of overnight beds will be critical, as the city estimates that almost 140 people in Evanston experience homelessness each night.

“We know as the cost of living increases and the affordable housing stock remains insufficient in our community, our neighbors will experience even more housing instability,” Bogg said. “This is the right thing to do, and it’s the right time to do it.”

During her remarks, Schakowsky lauded the work done by Connections and Interfaith Action, while also calling for greater action to address the root causes of homelessness and poverty. She said larger systemic change is needed to address income inequality, food insecurity and a lack of affordable housing across the country.

“Every person that’s going to benefit from your work is a victory, and a victory that you brought about,” Schakowsky said of the Hilda’s Place project. “[But] we also have to think about changing a system that guarantees that there are going to be people on the street.”