For those who are homeless or at risk for homelessness, we provide 24/7 access to emergency shelter. And that’s just the beginning of our life-changing support.

Our 36-year-old roots are in street outreach—specifically on the south side streets of Chicago. We reach out to the homeless many others don’t see, like—the single mothers who move from couch to couch in family or friend’s homes, the chronically homeless man with depression, the vet with his dog living in a car, the homeless family of six who don’t want to split up.

We form relationships that lead to breaking the cycle of homelessness. Most importantly, we’re not afraid to meet people where they are—and we never quit.

• Areas of assessment include:
• Number of family members (including pets)
• Income level
• Substance use/Mental health disorders
• Chronic physical health issues
• Developmental disabilities
• Ex-offender status
• Domestic violence
• Prior evictions
• Child Welfare Involvement

Featherfist provides housing on a continuum that includes both stable, temporary  housing and permanent housing. We provide Interim housing for women and children, transitional housing for veterans, rapid rehousing and permanent, supportive housing for the disabled. Such disabilities include significant medical or mental health diagnosis. Our project based housing programs are provided in safe, secure facilities that are staffed with on site supportive services focused on decreasing the barriers to obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. Scattered site units are located on the north, south and west sides of the city. Individuals and families, veterans and non-veterans are served in our programs. Our end goal is to move everyone into affordable, permanent homes in the neighborhood they choose.

Featherfist has experienced unparallelled success placing households in housing due to its stand alone housing department.  Housing Locators work with referring case managers to obtain safe, secure and affordable units in every area throughout the city. We have a city-wide reputation for developing close relationships with housing providers and make every effort to locate a unit in the client and/or family’s preferred neighborhood. We also help with housing placement for those leaving nursing homes or those engaged with anti-violence initiatives, such as domestic violence and gang violence providers. Housing Locators not only maintain an ongoing inventory of available units, but also provide Housing Quality standards (HQS) inspections of each unit prior to the move-in.

More than 50% of those we serve are homeless veterans. Whatever they need—housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment, educational training, vocational placement—we provide directly or through our collaborations.

We’re aware some of our homeless veterans live with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and/or physical disabilities. Featherfist also employs case managers who are former service members themselves to better understand the challenges faced and services required to successfully re-enter mainstream society.

Networking with Chicago’s VA Medical Center has helped us successfully house and maintain veteran households who otherwise might have been overlooked. Featherfist is proud to have been awarded the only TIP (Transition In Place) Veteran Housing Program in Illinois in 2012, which is still funded and operational today. Featherfist has also been twice awarded the Congressional Black Caucus Brain Trust Award for exemplary service to veterans.

Although, we service veterans in all of our existing programs, the following programs are dedicated to veterans: FORT I, FORT 2, FORT 3 and TIP. These programs provide stable housing both in project based housing and in scattered site units throughout the community. SSVF (Supportive Services for Veteran Families) provides case management and supportive services to prevent the imminent loss of a Veteran’s home or identify a new, more suitable housing situation for the individual and his or her family; or to rapidly re-house Veterans and their families who are homeless and might remain homeless without this assistance. These programs are funded by the Department of Veteran Affairs.

We will continue to serve all veterans with the respect, dignity and compassion they deserve.

We partner with for profit and nonprofit agencies who need help with social services. Working on a “fee for service” basis, we help with your social service needs.

Some of our current partners include:

• Thresholds
• AIDS Foundation of Chicago
• Chicago CRED
• 3 Diamond Development
• POAH Communities, LLC
• Grand Prairie Services

If you’d like more information on how we can help you with your social services, contact contractualservices@featherfist.org.