Haymarket Center’s Outreach Team has expanded its services to provide case management to people experiencing homelessness on the CTA Blue line. Covering roughly half of the Blue Line, between its O’Hare and Clark/Lake stations, outreach staff will be stationed on trains and will support individuals experiencing homelessness by providing resources and connecting them to services and treatment. The project is funded by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.
“Overall, the goal of the program is to assist individuals experiencing homelessness and riding the trains to access needed resources and help them move from homelessness to housing,” explained Jessica Dubuar, Haymarket’s Director of Health and Specialty Services.
While the project is in its infancy, it has already begun to make a difference in the lives of people who need it.
“In our first three months of operations, we have interacted with over 500 unique individuals, many whom have simply wanted a warm and dignified place to lay their head and call home,” said Isabella Mancini, Manager of Haymarket Center’s Mobile Outreach Program. “We have connected people to inpatient substance use treatment and behavioral health services, workforce development programs, emergency shelters, food pantries, and more.”