Mark Albers, president of the Niles Township GOP, said a recent report found severe health impacts and premature deaths among homeless people in Illinois. Albers made the statement to North Cook News.
The issue of homelessness in Illinois has drawn renewed attention following new data showing significant increases in both the number of unhoused residents and related health problems. Advocates say these findings highlight shortcomings in current policies and underscore the need for more proactive solutions.
“A new report showing thousands of premature deaths and widespread chronic illness among homeless Illinoisans is a devastating indictment of the state’s failed priorities. After years of Democratic control, Illinois has allowed a housing crisis to spiral while vulnerable residents are left to suffer the consequences. Instead of preventing homelessness, the system reacts only after people are already on the street, sick, or in crisis. The people of Illinois deserve accountability—and a government that treats stable living as a priority, not an afterthought,” Albers said according to North Cook News.
Capitol News Illinois reported on data from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the University of Illinois Chicago showing that homelessness in Illinois is strongly linked to severe health problems and early death. From 2017 to 2023, nearly 3,000 people died while experiencing homelessness, with an average age of death about 20 years younger than the general population. Homeless individuals had far higher rates of drug overdose, traumatic injury, exposure to extreme cold, and homicide. About 75,000 unhoused people accounted for more than 1.8 million hospital visits.according to Capitol News Illinois.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness estimates more than 58,000 Chicago residents experienced homelessness in 2024, far higher than the city’s official point-in-time count of about 19,000. The coalition says the federally mandated count misses many people who are homeless but not in shelters or visible on the streets, including those living in cars, abandoned buildings, or temporarily with others. Advocates say this larger figure highlights the scope of the housing crisis and suggests current counts understate the number of people unaided by the Illinois administration.according to The Chicago Sun-Times.
Stacker reported that homelessness in Illinois increased sharply between 2023 and 2024. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Annual Homelessness Assessment Report shows the state’s homeless population grew by 116.2%, rising to 25,832 people in 2024 from 11,947 in 2023. This was one of the largest percentage increases among all U.S. states. Factors cited include rising housing costs and affordability challenges.according to Stacker.
