Luxury apartment buildngs rise around the University, most marketed toward students able to pay $1,000 per bedroom in rent. The school’s multibillion-dollar budget and construction projects constantly reshape Campustown.
But outside campus — a few blocks away, even — the reality is different. Shelters are full, local housing agencies are stretched thin and hundreds of residents struggle to find a safe place to live as homelessness and the cost of living rise.
The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission’s count from January revealed that 355 people in the county were homeless. That number rose from 215 in 2023 and 279 in 2024 before its current high. Among the 355 unhoused individuals counted in January, 56 were unsheltered, and 75 were under the age of 18.
Danielle Chynoweth, supervisor for Cunningham Township — a municipal agency that provides a myriad of financial services for low-income Urbana residents — said her office has become an “emergency room for poor families.” The township is managing a surge of crises as the cost of living and necessities climbs.
“Frankly, there is not enough shelter, transitional housing and affordable housing in our community to meet the need,” Chynoweth said.
The county’s only low-barrier emergency shelter, Strides Shelter, has around 60 adult beds, but Chynoweth said it has been full since opening in 2022. Its future is uncertain, as the federal COVID-19 relief dollars that funded its operation ran out in June. Champaign residents in April voted down a tax levy to support it.
“Most families who are literally homeless are staying in cars with their children,” Chynoweth said. “They qualify for one of the two family shelters in town.”
One of those programs, the Emergency Shelter for Families, run by the CCRPC, provides short-term housing and case management for families. The county’s Centralized Intake for Homeless connects people to available beds whenever possible. But it’s not enough.
“We have twice as many homeless residents with half as many emergency beds as 10 years ago,” Chynoweth said. “That’s why you may see more homeless residents outside, staying in tents and other places, because there literally is not a place for them.”
Behind those numbers are personal stories. Chynoweth recalled recently speaking with a 66-year-old man and disabled University alum who thought he’d secured an apartment, only to find out he was scammed. Afterward, he cried in Chynoweth’s arms.
“That’s all my money for the month,” the man told Chynoweth. “I’m on a fixed income. It’s all gone, and I don’t have any place to stay for the month. I’m going to be homeless, and I’m in a wheelchair.”
The township’s spending shows how much need has grown. Before the pandemic, the office handled about a dozen rental assistance cases a month. Now, it averages 60 cases monthly and spends around $15,000 per month preventing utility shutoffs, up from about $2,000 to $3,000 a few years ago.
Another resource for low-income residents is the Housing Authority of Champaign County. HACC provides affordable housing through the Housing Choice Voucher Program, known as Section 8. Lily Walton, HACC’s executive director, said they serve about 5,500 residents and manage 900 affordable units in the county, but the demand is overwhelming.
Applicants who seek a voucher are placed on a waitlist; unfortunately, there’s a long line of people waiting with no end in sight.
“Last year, we took 4,000 applicants, so we didn’t open the waitlist this year and may not open it next year,” Walton said. “A person can wait anywhere from three months to two years to receive their assistance.”
HACC assists residents who struggle with rent and leasing requirements, which Walton said are making it harder for families to secure housing. Some of these include minimum credit scores or income totaling months of rent.
Many residents, Walton said, have been evicted for rent nonpayment. But for those people, the choices are impossible.
“When a mother has to think about, ‘Do I feed my kids or pay my rent?’ you’re going to feed your kids,” Walton said.
Chynoweth encouraged students to make a commitment to help address the crisis, the more often, the better. She encouraged people to advocate for tenant protection legislation, volunteer or donate to the township’s Angel Donor Fund or other organizations.
“Everyone can do something,” Chynoweth said.
Residents seeking help with housing or emergency assistance can visit the CCRPC website, which provides a list of services and resources like shelters and long-term housing. For more information on affordable housing and vouchers, visit the HACC website.