Latest News

City of Chicago 2026 Point-in-Time Count & Survey Report

Earlier this month, the City of Chicago Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS) and partners released the survey report for the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count conducted on January 22, 2026. This count and accompanying report are to provide an “annual snapshot of homelessness in Chicago. The PIT Count is one of many date sources utilized by the City of Chicago to understand the number of individuals experiencing homelessness locally and how to best meet their evolving needs.” The count estimated 6,527 people experience homelessness a day in Chicago, with 4,886 in emergency shelter or transitional housing, and 1,641 individuals…

Renters Increasingly Struggle to Pay for Housing

The Urban Institute released this week findings from their Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, which examined the 2019-2025 trends in challenges to paying housing and utility costs for adults 18 to 64. They found that renters are facing increased difficulty affording housing, utilities, and other basic needs. Key Findings: – Challenges to paying rent for working-age adults increased in 2025.– Middle-income renters had the highest increase in issues paying rent. – Working-age adults had more problems paying rent and utilities for heating and electricity. – 1 in 10 older adults, ages 65 and older, reported challenges paying for rent and…

The 2026 Hunger in Chicago Report

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, released the 2026 Hunger in Chicago Report earlier this week. In their announcement, they highlighted that “food insecurity in Chicago is widespread, urgent, and worsening”. Key finding from the report include: – 1 in 3 household are food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to enough food. – 1 in 2 families with children are especially vulnerable. – 56% of food insecure household have working adults but still cannot afford enough food and other living costs. – 31% of Chicagoans shared they have skipped, reduced,…

Perfect Storm: Federal cuts threaten ‘gold standard’ of Chicago homeless services

by Jerrel Floyd | Published September 1, 2026 – City Bureau With thousands at risk of eviction, homelessness advocates and survivors are navigating federal funding instability and lacking local funding in the city’s budget. Read the full article here.

City of Chicago and Cook County Health Release Report Demonstrating Health and Social Benefits of Flexible Housing Pool and Need to Diversify Funding Support

The City of Chicago and Cook County Health released August 7, 2026 a comprehensive report of the Flexible Housing Pool of Chicago and Cook County, highlighting that supportive housing improves health outcomes and lowers the cost of crisis-response systems for people experiencing homelessness and complex health conditions. “The report, which examines outcomes from 2019 through 2024, provides some of the strongest local evidence to date that housing is both a social and health intervention.” Read the full announcement and report here.

Program Participant Graduated!

It’s graduation season and we are thrilled to announce that one of our program participants graduated from Truman College with honors last month!

Proposed Funding Cuts Threaten Permanent Supportive Housing Programs

Late last week, HUD announced devastating and disruptive changes to service funding for people experiencing homelessness. These changes will cause an estimated 170,000 people around the country to lose their housing, including 3,822 people in Chicago and 35 at Sarah’s Circle. At Sarah’s Circle, we provide a full continuum of services, including the Daytime Support Center, Interim Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). Each program is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of a person on their journey out of homelessness. PSH provides long-term safety and security for our most vulnerable women: those with disabilities, seniors, and women…

Read Our Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report

Take a moment to read our latest Annual Report for a glance at our year in review; Who we served, what we achieved, and who helped us make it all happen! Our 2025 Annual Report was designed by Ann Gilly with photographs by Zach Caddy

Winter Walk 2026!

We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming Winter Walk event. Save the date for Sunday March 8th of 2026 and join us at Uplift Community High School from 1 to 3PM to learn about the work we do, hear from a guest speaker, and walk through the stories of women experiencing homelessness in Chicago. You can now visit the WW26 website to learn more and register! Need help registering or giving? Please see instructions below:

A Busy July

Summer can often be a slower time of the year for social service organizations like ours. Without the threat of freezing temperatures or the days with shorter daylight, there may be less urgency in seeking support. This summer, however, we have seen a significant uptick in visits to the Daytime Support Center. With the line to our Daytime Support Center even stretching down the block on occasion, evidence of increased need is undeniable. We’re not sure what to attribute this increase to but staff are working hard to meet the increased need. Monday through Friday the Daytime Support Center helps…