Facing Forward to End Homelessness spoke with Board Member Christina Macumber for an August feature.

Facing Forward to End Homelessness ends homelessness for families and individuals by offering home, help and hope. Facing Forward provides permanent housing, education, advocacy, and social services. We partner with families and individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness and are living with a disability and empower them with the stability of a stable home and the tools they need to increase their self-sufficiency and become confidently independent. By implementing the “Housing First” approach, we are currently ending homelessness for over 660 people in Chicago, transforming lives by addressing first and foremost the need for a safe and stable home. An individual’s basic needs for food and shelter must be met before successfully addressing root causes of chronic homelessness. We provide long-term housing at the outset of service, allowing for rapid outreach to the most vulnerable populations. Once this first step toward stability has been taken, we provide client-directed case management services to support the journey toward self-sufficiency. Facing Forward provides a full range of client-directed case management services focused on mental and physical health, life skills, education, and employment.