Housing Forward

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.

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

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

• Homelessness prevention services
• Emergency housing shelter
• Rental assistance programs
• Housing stabilization support
• Street outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Maywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: Individual donors, corporate donors, and community foundation support
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Federal funding through HUD Continuum of Care programs, state and local government contracts
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Alliance to End HomelessnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing 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 CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing Forward partners with the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition to coordinate local homelessness prevention and response efforts in the Oak Park community.
• Healthy Communities FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthy 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.
• CompassminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompass 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 ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood 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 HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRush 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/HousingForward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housingforward
• Instagraminstagram.com/housingforward
• Xx.com/HousingForward

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Housing Forward