Joining the Coalition is easy. Fill out an application pdf or online.

Come to a meeting. Join in the effort.

Letters of Interest for HUD Continuum of Care New and Renewal Funding

Background

The Lake County Coalition for the Homeless (LCCH) compiles an application for HUD Continuum of Care funding including funding for permanent and transitional housing, supportive services only, Coordinated Entry and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

In response to this opportunity, the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless (LCCH) is soliciting Letters of Interest for both New Projects that align with the strategic needs as outlined in the FY26 Allocation Plan and Renewal Projects.

Applications for new funding opportunities are open to any agency and require a LOI.

The 2026 HUD CoC NOFO was released on June 1, 2026, and includes several significant changes to the competition. Most notably, Tier 1 funding is limited to 60% of the CoC's Annual Renewal Demand (ARD), making Tier 2 substantially more competitive than in previous years. The NOFO also includes opportunities for bonus funding through CoC Bonus and Domestic Violence Bonus.

The Lake County Coalition for the Homeless (LCCH) will administer the competition in accordance with the FY2026 Allocation Plan approved by the LCCH Board of Directors on July 6, 2026. Due to the increased competition for Tier 2 funding, LCCH will continue to prioritize projects that demonstrate strong performance, alignment with HUD priorities, and the greatest impact on the local homeless response system. All projects selected for funding must comply with applicable HUD CoC regulations and NOFO requirements.

New Projects

Applications for new projects can come from currently funded agencies or new agencies. The Lake County Coalition for the Homeless is seeking applicants for the following project types:

  1. New Projects for Domestic Violence Bonus (anticipated: $891,934)

  • DV- Transitional Housing (TH)

  • DV- Supportive Services Only (SSO)

  1. New Projects for Bonus and Reallocated Funding

  • Transitional Housing

  • Supportive Services Only

Renewal Projects

LCCH is soliciting applications from all currently funded projects who wish to renew. Renewal projects will be accepted for the following project types at their current funding level:

  1. Renewal Permanent Housing, including Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing

  2. Renewal Projects that are transitioning to a new project type like TH or SSO

  3. Renewal Transitional Housing

  4. Renewal for HMIS and Coordinated Entry

Renewal projects are encouraged voluntarily reallocate funds or expand the capacity of existing housing projects.

Letter of Interest Submission – New and Renewal

Letters of Interest should be limited to one page and should include the following information:

  • Project funding amount and type (new, renewal, DV bonus)

  • Project description

  • Scope of project and population to be served

  • For renewal projects planning for expansion/reallocation, please provide information on the amount of reallocation or number of expanded units and an explanation of how this will not impact your projects sustainability.

The LOI is required to be completed for all organizations applying for CoC funding.

The LOI must be submitted by email to Malin Gembra at MGembra@lakecountyil.gov Friday July 10th by 5:00pm.

FY2026 HOME Illinois Funding

The Funding Work Group reviewed the SPSP recommendations and program utilization data from the prior year and approved the funding recommendations to continue supporting critical shelter diversion, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing services. Funding amounts remain consistent with the previous year. You can few the FY2026 HOME Illinois Funding recommendations here.

Project Funding Amounts for the FY2027 Funding Background

The Lake County Coalition for the Homeless (LCCH) is charged with allocating funds for the State of Illinois’ Department of Human Service (IDHS) for the Homeless Prevention Program. The amount of funding has been verified by the state to be $1,320,600. The Strategic Planning and System Performance (SPSP) Committee recommended renewal of previous funded programs since there was no increase in the allocated amount.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) works closely with the Continuum of Care (CoC) to obtain local recommendations for Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding. FY2027 ESG funding has been announced at $154,211, a decrease of $403 from the FY2026 allocation of $154,614.

View the full Funding Memo here.

2025 Homeless Data

The Lake County Coalition for the Homeless has compiled local data to better understand and address homelessness in our community. Drawing from multiple sources—including the Point-in-Time Count, System Performance Measures, and the Annual Assessment of Coordinated Entry—this data provides valuable insight into the challenges faced by individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

These findings guide our efforts to develop lasting solutions and ensure that homelessness in Lake County becomes rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

Learn more from the 2025 Homeless Data Summary (pdf).