The DuPage County Board and the nonprofit DuPage Foundation are collectively contributing nearly $400,000 to a housing support services organization this winter to provide emergency shelter as frigid temperatures continue.
The County Board is allocating $200,000 from its affordable housing fund to assist DuPagePads, a group that serves residents in Naperville and other communities throughout the county. The DuPage Foundation is contributing an additional $190,0000 from its emergency fund, donors, and other sources.
DuPagePads Interim Housing Center had met capacity
County Board Chair Deborah Conroy, DuPage Foundation President and CEO Mike Sitrick, and DuPagePads President and CEO April Redzic spoke about the immediate need during a check presentation at the County Board’s meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
People grappling with homelessness within DuPage County had been on a waiting list — the result of DuPagePads’ Interim Housing Center in Downers Grove being at capacity. The situation spurred the plans to contribute added funds to ensure emergency shelter is available to all people while temperatures remain below freezing for sustained periods.
Conroy, Sitrick, Redzic, local mayors, and others began talks of contributing funds in December as the need for emergency housing became more pronounced.
“No one should be left out in the cold in the winter,” Sitrick said. “Ensuring children, families, and individuals who are struggling to have a warm bed at night to access the help they need is crucial — not only for the trajectory of their lives, but for the long-term health of our county.”
The DuPage Foundation’s fundraising appeal last month reached $190,000 within a week, Sitrick said, which gave DuPagePads the ability to deploy additional resources in short order to ensure people in need had a warm play to stay as the depths of winter have set in.
“I will tell you we’ve reached 52 people so far and have gotten them into a safe place to stay,” Redzic said.
Speaking to the DuPage Foundation’s donor base, Sitrick said, “We are fortunate to have incredibly passionate and generous people in our community who share our vision of building an eco-system for collective impact.”
‘We can make a tremendous impact’
During the check presentation, Conroy said the allocation of already designated county funds, coupled with donated funds outside the realm of government, is an example of the effectiveness of public-private partnerships.
“Our first County Board meeting of 2025 presents us with a timely reminder that when we work together, we can make a tremendous impact,” Conroy said.
County government, Conroy said, is a logical conduit to assist in bringing resources to organizations such as DuPagePads.
“The fact is, people who struggle with housing and food security are found in every community in our county,” Conroy said. “This problem is literally in our backyards.”
Based on information shared at the County Board meeting, the additional funds are designed to serve up to 70 people and provide the added emergency shelter beds through the first quarter of 2025 when the extremities of winter weather have subsided.
According to its website, DuPagePads serves approximately 300 people within 115 rooms through its established Interim Housing Center.
“This is a true public-private response to a community concern,” Conroy said.
Long-term planning advocated
While the public-private partnership will bring short-term funding and help cover housing needs within DuPage County this winter, Conroy signaled an effort to have discussions toward longer-range solutions to meet the needs of the immediate region.
“A long-term plan and comprehensive solutions will require all of us working together toward solutions that can address these persistent challenges,” Conroy said.
While talks of longer-range efforts are off on the horizon, organizers such as Redzic are relieved for the immediate infusion of funds at a critical time.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to have the opportunity to get people into a safe space, instead of out in the cold right now,” Redzic said. To everyone who pitched in, she said, “I don’t know how many folks would have survived without you and your kindness.”
Photo courtesy: DuPage County Board / DuPage Foundation
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