La Casa Norte has been working with the homeless population in Chicago’s Humboldt Park and surrounding communities since July 2002. In that time we have served over 4,500 families and individuals providing a range of services through our Crisis Center located on the 3500 block of W. North Avenue. This Crisis Center remains open today meeting the emergency needs of those on the west side of Chicago. In 2005, LCN took the step of developing and implementing a new program focused on assisting our clients in readying themselves for careers. Esperanza Trabajando, LCNs job readiness and job placement services has worked since then to help our marginalized service population gain jobs and needed income. In the summer of 2005, LCN broke ground to develop Solid Ground Supportive Housing Program for homeless male youth. Completed in December 2006, this new facility now houses up to 16 homeless youth meeting another previous unmet need in our community. Other projects developed include a Community Technology Center in 2007, Casa TeraU in 2008, a technical training program and Casa Corazon in 2009, a homeless youth outreach and engagement project. La Casa Norte won in late 2006, the Inaugural Ruby Slipper Award for leadership and advocacy on behalf of the Chicago Plan to End Homelessness, the Fannie Mae Maxwell Award of Excellence (one of four given nationwide in 2008), and most recently the Richard H. Driehaus Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design in 2008.

La Casa Norte is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for homeless and abandoned people where they benefit from a comprehensive program of education, guidance, and counseling in a community setting. Our primary goal is to foster economic self-sufficiency and independence among homeless and at-risk populations in our community.

La Casa Norte (LCN) is a multi-service agency helping families, individuals and youth come to terms with the crisis of homelessness. LCN’s programs work to help address the critical need our clients have for housing, work force development and education. All of our programs provide bilingual and culturally sensitive services with the goal of helping households and individuals to move towards increased stability and long term solutions. LCN’s Crisis Center program provides bilingual and culturally sensitive case management, housing advocacy, peer support and emergency funds which helps households who are homeless or endanger of homelessness. LCN in 2009 became a Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing partner with the City of Chicago gaining resources to house or avert from homelessness 187 families. LCN also provides services to youth and families referred by IL DCFS clients in need of assistance in stabilizing in housing. In 2009, LCN’s Crisis Center assisted 1547 households. The Solid Ground Supportive Housing Program provides up to two years of supportive housing for homeless male youth, aged 16-21. LCN’s longer program allows staff to teach and model the skills needed for youth to maintain stable housing and employment, rebuild their self-esteem, address barriers to stability and prepare them for continuing education. Since opening in 2006 Solid Ground has housed 89 youth with 86% of youth leaving in 2009, moving out to permanent housing. Esperanza Trabajando, is LCN job readiness, placement and training program for both youth and adults. Esperanza Trabajando works with homeless and precariously housed individuals and families, helping them through various initiatives to become employed. Program components include one on one couching, job readiness training, support in finding employment and for some referral to training or educational programming. LCN also operates Casa TeraU, a program training students in current office software and a GED tutoring program. In 2009, 295 clients utilized ET’s services. Casa Corazon, is LCN’s homeless youth engagement project which works to move high risk youth from the streets of Chicago’s west side towards services and stability. Casa Corazon provides street outreach services coupled with a drop in center to help youth to moderate risky behavior and move from the streets towards stable housing. In the projects first 15 months the program had 889 unduplicated youth come to the drop in center and the project contacted 1236 unduplicated homeless youth on the streets. La Casa Norte beyond the services provided by the four above mentioned programs is involved in broad based advocacy for the homeless community, in particular youth and Latinos. We are involved in mobilizing resources through organizing efforts in the area of food security, recognition of the homeless service needs of the Latino community and better access for all to affordable housing resources.