Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

What Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County does

The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Hillside, Illinois, that serves as the HUD-designated lead agency for the Cook County Continuum of Care. It coordinates homeless services across suburban Cook County through a network of 40+ member nonprofit agencies, standardizing intake, assessment, and resource allocation via a community-wide Coordinated Entry system. Its core programmatic offerings are the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), a secure online database that collects client-level data on services provided to people experiencing housing instability across suburban Cook and DuPage counties; the Coordinated Entry system, which conducts a six-part phased assessment (Safety Screening, Crisis Assessment, Diversion Screening, Shelter/Street Outreach Enrollment, Rapid Resolution, and CE Consent/Housing Preferences) to connect individuals with appropriate housing resources; the Entry Point Call Center (1-877-426-6515) providing direct access to shelter diversion providers; and HUD Continuum of Care program coordination, managing the annual HUD grant application process.

The organization's revenue model is government-grant dependent, with no commercial product or service revenue. It receives approximately $16 million per year in HUD CoC grants to support 30 housing programs, and coordinates an additional $11.5M in related funding to reach $27.5M annually across 45 housing programs. Membership dues from 40+ member agencies provide supplemental support. Services are delivered to end clients (people experiencing homelessness or housing instability) through partner agencies rather than directly; the Alliance's role is coordination, data infrastructure, training, and grant administration. Outcome metrics include 14,882 people served in the last year and an 18% decrease in chronic homelessness over the past three years. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Jennifer Hill and a senior team that includes heads of Finance & Operations, Information Services, Coordinated Entry, CoC Planning, and Development.

Name

Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

Legal name

The Alliance leads the Cook County, Inc.

Website

https://suburbancook.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County is a nonprofit lead agency for the Cook County Continuum of Care, coordinating homeless services across 40+ partner agencies through a community-wide Coordinated Entry system, HMIS data platform, and approximately $27.5 million in annual HUD funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Services Coordination and Continuum of Care Administration

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Homeless services coordination
• Continuum of care
• Housing assistance programs
• Coordinated entry system
• Homeless management information

Headquarters

HQ city

Hillside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HUD Continuum of Care Grants: The Alliance coordinates annual HUD CoC grant applications and receives approximately $16 million per year to fund housing programs. These grants support approximately 30-45 housing programs across suburban Cook County serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
2. Membership Dues: Member agencies (40+ organizations) pay dues to participate in the Continuum of Care network, accessing shared resources, data systems (HMIS), training, and coordinated entry infrastructure.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County is a nonprofit lead agency that coordinates the Cook County Continuum of Care, a network of 40+ member agencies delivering homeless services across suburban Cook County. Its core offerings include the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), a secure client-level database covering suburban Cook and DuPage counties; Coordinated Entry, a community-wide intake and assessment system connecting people experiencing homelessness to housing resources; and HUD Continuum of Care grant coordination, distributing approximately $16 million annually to 30 housing programs.

Product overview

The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County operates as a nonprofit organization leading the Cook County Continuum of Care, coordinating a network of housing interventions that includes prevention, crisis housing, and permanent housing prioritization. The organization's core offerings consist of: (1) the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) - a secure database for client-level data collection and regional service coordination across suburban Cook and DuPage counties; (2) Coordinated Entry - a community-wide intake and assessment system connecting individuals experiencing homelessness with appropriate housing resources; (3) HUD Continuum of Care program coordination - managing approximately $16 million in annual HUD grants supporting 30+ housing programs; and (4) the Entry Point Call Center - providing direct access to shelter diversion services and access points. These interconnected services form a comprehensive homelessness response system serving suburban Cook County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) A secure online database that allows organizations to collect client-level information on services provided to people experiencing housing instability and better coordinate services across the region. The Alliance serves as the lead agency for the suburban Cook County and DuPage County HMIS, enabling data coordination across both counties.
• Coordinated Entry A community-wide system made up of nonprofit homeless service providers that connect people experiencing homelessness and housing instability with the resources they need. Coordinated Entry allows the community to better target available resources to the people who need them most and connect people to the right program based on their preferences and needs, following a six-phase assessment process.
• HUD Continuum of Care Program Coordination As the lead agency for the Cook County Continuum of Care, the Alliance coordinates the annual application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for homeless assistance grants, distributing approximately $16 million per year to support 30 housing programs for people experiencing homelessness across suburban Cook County.
• Entry Point Call Center A coordinated entry call center reachable at 1-877-426-6515 that provides referrals to shelter diversion providers and in-person access points for suburban Cook County residents experiencing homelessness.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18% decrease in chronic homelessness over the last three years
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cook County Continuum of Care Partners (40+ member agencies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of 40+ nonprofit homeless service providers operating across suburban Cook County. These partners work collaboratively to develop, fund, and implement housing solutions under the Alliance's coordination. They participate in the Coordinated Entry system and use the shared HMIS platform.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreOthersHUD is the primary federal funder of the Alliance's Continuum of Care activities. The Alliance coordinates the annual HUD CoC grant application and receives approximately $16 million per year to support housing programs for people experiencing homelessness.
• DuPage County HMISminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance serves as the lead agency for the HMIS in both suburban Cook County and DuPage County, enabling data coordination and service alignment across both counties.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• All Chicago: All Chicago is the Continuum of Care lead agency for Chicago city and county, operating the same model as the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County: HUD CoC coordination, a coordinated entry system, HMIS administration, and a broad network of nonprofit service providers. The two organizations are functionally identical CoC lead entities serving adjacent geographies in metropolitan Chicago.
• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA): LAHSA is the joint powers authority that serves as the lead agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, coordinating HUD homeless assistance grants, the Coordinated Entry System (CES), and HMIS across LA County. It is a direct functional peer — a regional/jurisdictional CoC lead — operating the same regulatory and coordinating role as the Alliance, just at much greater scale.
• Heading Home (Boston): Heading Home is a Boston-based backbone organization that leads the Greater Boston Continuum of Care (now the Boston Continuum of Care) by coordinating HMIS, leading coordinated entry, and convening regional service providers — functionally the same role the Alliance plays for suburban Cook County. It is a direct peer in model, if not in geography.
• Homeless Alliance (Oklahoma City): The Homeless Alliance serves as the lead agency for the Oklahoma City Continuum of Care, coordinating HUD funding, HMIS, and a network of service providers. It operates the same CoC lead-agency model as the Alliance, making it a direct structural peer despite the geographic distance.
• Coalition for the Homeless (Houston): The Coalition for the Homeless is the lead agency for the Houston/Harris County Continuum of Care and operates the HMIS, coordinated entry, and HUD CoC grant coordination for its region. It is a direct peer to the Alliance in terms of function and CoC lead-agency role.

Regional players

• Chicago Coalition for the Homeless: The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is an advocacy and organizing nonprofit focused on housing policy and homelessness in the broader Chicago region. While not a CoC lead agency, it operates in the same metropolitan area, serves overlapping populations, and engages with the same HUD policy ecosystem — making it a regional peer and potential collaborator/competitor for funding and visibility.

Broad incumbents

• Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH): CSH is a national nonprofit that provides financing, technical assistance, and capacity-building for supportive housing providers — many of whom are members of CoCs like the Alliance's. It operates broadly across the supportive housing ecosystem and intersects with the Alliance's member agencies, but is not a direct CoC coordinator itself.
• National Alliance to End Homelessness: NAEH is the national policy and advocacy organization that shapes federal homelessness funding and CoC program design that the Alliance depends on. It operates across the entire U.S. homelessness ecosystem rather than a single geography, making it an incumbent/adjacent player whose policy work directly affects the Alliance's operating environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/suburbancook

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County