Housing Forward
Housing Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, street outreach, case management, and housing stabilization services across west suburban Cook County, Illinois, funded primarily by HUD grants, government contracts, and philanthropic donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMaywood, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Housing Forward does
Housing Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 36-3876660) headquartered in Maywood, Illinois, that provides homelessness prevention, crisis response, and housing stabilization services across west suburban Cook County. Founded around 1992 (firmographic) / 2005 (corporate copyright), the organization operates a three-tiered service model — Prevent, Respond, Stabilize — covering rental and utility assistance to avert housing crises, emergency shelter and street outreach for individuals in active crisis, and long-term case management with wraparound supportive services to maintain permanent housing. It also operates the Sojourner House medical respite program, which integrates housing with post-hospitalization health services.
Housing Forward's underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight: HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) for client tracking and outcome reporting as required by HUD, and a Client Rent Portal enabling clients to submit rental payments under case-manager supervision. The organization holds HIPAA and HMIS privacy certifications and Candid Platinum transparency status. Services are delivered through direct field operations — street outreach teams, emergency shelter partnerships (including warming centers at Rush Oak Park Hospital and overnight shelters at Good Shepherd), case management offices, and a 211 call center integration. The Client Rent Portal represents the only self-service digital channel.
Revenue is derived from a mix of philanthropic donations (individual, corporate, and community foundations including United Way of Metro Chicago and Healthy Communities Foundation), federal funding through HUD Continuum of Care programs, and state and local government contracts. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Housing Forward is governed by a board of directors typical of 501(c)(3) structures, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or equity holders.
Housing Forward firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Housing Forward
- Legal name
- Housing Forward
- Website
- https://housingforward.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Housing Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, street outreach, case management, and housing stabilization services across west suburban Cook County, Illinois, funded primarily by HUD grants, government contracts, and philanthropic donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Housing Forward industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Homelessness and Housing Social Services
- NAICS
- Temporary Shelters (624221), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Community Housing Services (62422)
- SIC
- Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs (FSALAKAH)
Keywords
Where Housing Forward is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Maywood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Housing Forward business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Donations: Individual donors, corporate donors, and community foundation support
- Government Grants and Contracts: Federal funding through HUD Continuum of Care programs, state and local government contracts
- United Way and Foundation Grants: Funding from organizations like United Way of Metro Chicago Response Fund, Healthy Communities Foundation, and other philanthropic partners
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Housing Forward product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Housing Forward is a nonprofit organization delivering a three-tiered service model — Prevent, Respond, and Stabilize — to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness in west suburban Cook County, Illinois. Services include emergency shelter, rental and utility assistance, street outreach, case management, medical respite (Sojourner House), and wraparound supportive services, all provided at no cost to clients.
Product overview
Housing Forward operates as a nonprofit organization offering a three-tiered approach to ending homelessness: Prevent, Respond, and Stabilize. The organization provides rental assistance and financial support to prevent homelessness, emergency housing and crisis intervention services, and long-term housing stabilization with wraparound supportive services. Their portfolio includes a Client Rent Portal for client payments, the Sojourner House medical respite program, and street outreach services. All services are coordinated through partnerships with the Alliance to End Homelessness and Oak Park Homelessness Coalition, serving primarily Suburban Cook County and west suburban Cook County communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sojourner House: Medical respite program highlighted by Healthy Communities Foundation as 'Housing as Health: How Sojourner House is Paving the Way for Medical Respite Care.'
Products and services
- Prevent Homelessness Services
Quantifiable outcome
- United Way Response Fund awarded $250,000 to support housing and homelessness prevention programs
Companies that use Housing Forward
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Housing Forward technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Housing Forward partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Alliance to End HomelessnesscoreHousing Forward proudly partners with the Alliance to End Homelessness, a key coordinating body for suburban Cook County's homeless response system. This partnership supports system-level performance monitoring and best practices implementation.
- Oak Park Homelessness CoalitioncoreHousing Forward partners with the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition to coordinate local homelessness prevention and response efforts in the Oak Park community.
- Healthy Communities FoundationmajorHealthy Communities Foundation highlighted Housing Forward's Sojourner House medical respite program in their article 'Housing as Health: How Sojourner House is Paving the Way for Medical Respite Care,' recognizing the program's innovative approach to combining housing and healthcare.
- CompassminorCompass selected Housing Forward as a 2021-22 Classic Project nonprofit client, providing pro bono consulting services including marketing strategy support. Compass offers full range of pro bono consulting services for nonprofits.
- Good Shepherd ChurchminorGood Shepherd Church provides physical space for emergency overnight shelters during winter months, operating Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for unsheltered men, women, and families.
- Rush Oak Park HospitalminorRush Oak Park Hospital provides a 24/7 warming center when temperatures dip below 32 degrees, supporting Housing Forward's emergency winter shelter efforts.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Housing Forward competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Heartland Alliance: Major Chicago anti-poverty nonprofit operating housing, healthcare, legal aid, and human services across multiple states. Broader incumbent with overlapping housing and homeless services in the same region as Housing Forward.
- Catholic Charities of Chicago: Large multi-service Chicago-area nonprofit providing emergency assistance, housing, and case management across Cook County. Overlaps with Housing Forward on rental assistance, emergency shelter, and homelessness prevention services.
Direct peers
- Thresholds: Chicago-based nonprofit delivering housing, mental health, and substance use services to adults and youth. Comparable service mix and target population to Housing Forward, with overlapping case management and housing stabilization programs in the Chicago metro area.
- Cara Collective: Chicago nonprofit focused on housing and employment for people affected by homelessness and poverty. Comparable mission, geography, and integrated housing-plus-services model to Housing Forward.
- Deborah's Place: Chicago nonprofit providing housing and supportive services for women experiencing homelessness, including interim housing and permanent supportive housing. Comparable shelter and stabilization services to Housing Forward within the same metropolitan area.
- Sarah's Circle: Chicago nonprofit offering shelter, housing, and case management for women experiencing homelessness and poverty. Directly comparable in service model and Chicago geography to Housing Forward's emergency response and stabilization work.
- Inspiration Corporation: Chicago nonprofit providing housing, employment, and wraparound services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Directly comparable to Housing Forward as a multi-service Chicago-area homeless services provider with prevention, response, and stabilization offerings.
- A Safe Haven Foundation: Chicago nonprofit providing housing, workforce development, and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Comparable integrated housing-and-services approach to Housing Forward.
Others
- All Chicago Making Homelessness History: Chicago collaborative funder and coordinator of the city's homeless response system, operating the centralized referral network. Functionally adjacent to Housing Forward as both a partner (Alliance to End Homelessness sub-grantee) and system-level coordinator in overlapping geographies.
- Chicago Coalition for the Homeless: Chicago-based advocacy and policy organization focused on housing justice and homelessness prevention. An ecosystem peer and potential referral partner, but primarily advocacy-focused rather than direct service like Housing Forward.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Housing Forward social profiles
Digital presenceHousing Forward compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Housing Forward financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Housing Forward leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Housing Forward funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Housing Forward M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Housing Forward
What does Housing Forward do?
Housing Forward is a nonprofit organization delivering a three-tiered service model — Prevent, Respond, and Stabilize — to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness in west suburban Cook County, Illinois. Services include emergency shelter, rental and utility assistance, street outreach, case management, medical respite (Sojourner House), and wraparound supportive services, all provided at no cost to clients.
Is Housing Forward a public or private company?
Housing Forward is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Housing Forward founded?
Housing Forward was founded in 2005. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Housing Forward based?
Housing Forward is headquartered in Maywood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Housing Forward make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Donations are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Contracts and united Way and Foundation Grants.
Who are Housing Forward's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Heartland Alliance and Catholic Charities of Chicago. Direct peers are Thresholds, Cara Collective, Deborah's Place, Sarah's Circle, Inspiration Corporation and A Safe Haven Foundation. Others are All Chicago Making Homelessness History and Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Does Housing Forward have an API?
No public API is recorded for Housing Forward.
What industry is Housing Forward in?
Housing Forward's product category is Homelessness and Housing Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIANAA, Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing), with a secondary code of FSALAKAH, Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs. Its NAICS code is 624221 and its SIC code is 8744.