WBEZ Reset: Black homelessness is twice the national average in Illinois

Posted on January 15, 2025
Screenshot of link to Reset show on Black Homelessness. At the top is the WBEZ logo and a link to listen. Below on the left is an image of a homeless person's tent. Next to that is the topic of the show about Black Homelessness.
Andrew Gill

In Illinois, Black residents are eight times more likely to be homeless than white residents

IRRPP produced a report on the structural drivers of Black Homelessness for the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH). Christine Haley, who leads OPEH, discusses the report and how the racial wealth gap, the legacy of redlining and the lack of affordable housing all drive the high rates of Black homelessness in Illinois. Click this link to hear the Reset program on these structural factors and what can be done to alleviate these disparities.

You can also find IRRPP's report by following this link.