The first in Illinois, and one of the first in the United States, Downers Grove is home to an innovative solution to end homelessness. For 40 years, DuPagePads has sought to end homelessness by utilizing the support of the surrounding communities. Now, DuPagePads has centralized services at the Interim Housing Center, known affectionately as the IHC, established in 2022 as a repurposed former hotel.

Covid-19 forced DuPagePads to meet their mission of ending homelessness differently, rethinking how to best provide interim housing solutions that help individuals and families move beyond homelessness. Providing clients privacy in a secure space to temporarily house themselves and family members has resulted in an 80% reduction in mental health incidents and a 75% reduction in physical health issues. The stability of the IHC, and the hard work of its education team, has resulted in 147 children enrolling in school this year across 26 school districts.

The IHC provides a safe place to sleep, food and connections to case management for approximately 300 people each night throughout 118 rooms. Once checked in, clients can focus on their wellness and stability, making it possible to move forward using the resources and support provided by DuPagePads to regain their independence. The IHC provides a place where clients are not forced to travel daily, endure harsh conditions, or have concerns about where they may eat and sleep. The DuPagePads Empowerment Center, located up the street from the IHC, also provides community partners a destination for centralized support services.

DuPagePads invites you to be a part of this new model by supporting its work. Thanks to a generous grant from the DuPage County Board, as well as kind donors in the community, the IHC is currently undergoing construction to renovate rooms to make them more accommodating for individuals with disabilities, and to create a kitchen that can serve 300 people (100 of whom are children) hot meals every day. DuPagePads is grateful to both the DuPage County Board and the Village of Downers Grove for their support as they plan for the continued improvement of this transformative center.

Since operating this model of shelter, DuPagePads has seen significant client successes. Last year, 276 individuals exited the IHC to stable housing. While DuPagePads is the first hotel-to-interim housing conversion in Illinois, they are providing financial information and lessons learned to peer agencies across the state and nation who are embarking on the creation of similar models.

For more information and to learn about how you can help end homelessness, visit www.dupagepads.org and follow DuPagePads on social media.