Brandon Johnson establishes Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer
Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson appears on stage during the National Urban League Conference Plenary II: State of Black America on July 28, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)
CHICAGO - Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday signed an executive order creating Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer.
The person in the role will be tasked with providing solutions "for stable, permanent and affordable housing" for the unhoused in the city, Johnson said in a statement announcing the new position.
"By establishing a Chief Homelessness Officer for the City of Chicago, we will have a critical point of contact to coordinate efforts and leverage the full force of government to provide shelter for all people," Johnson said.
The officer will be responsible for "fostering greater policy and operational coordination across city departments and sister agencies" to tackle the crisis, the mayor’s office said.
The move comes a day ahead of a public hearing before the City Council on the mayor’s proposal to raise the real estate transfer tax on high-end home sales to create dedicated funding to combat homelessness.
An estimated 68,440 Chicago residents were experiencing homelessness at the beginning of 2022, according to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. The city’s department of family and support services found 6,139 unhoused residents in homeless shelters, encampments and unsheltered areas during a single night in January.
Emily Krisciunas, executive director of Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness, said the organization was pleased to partner with the mayor on the new position.
"A dedicated, senior-level role within the mayor’s office will help advance sustainable, long-term solutions to expand access to housing for all and help end homelessness in Chicago," Krisciunas said in a statement.
The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, one of the organizations that advocated for the creation of the role, celebrated the announcement on X, formerly known asTwitter.
"The Chief Homelessness Officer is needed now more than ever. We look forward to working together to prevent and end homelessness," the organization said in a post.