On October 6, 2026, WIU will host state officials and researchers who will meet to discuss the new Latine Homelessness in Illinois: Structural Drivers of Inequality report, which is a collaborative effort of the UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH), which is housed in the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Governor Pritzker stated at a presentation of this report on May 21, 2026,“This research, and the testimony of people with lived experience, helps us pave the path toward a state where no one faces long-term homelessness."

The report partly draws on insights from the Racial Equity Roundtable on Latine Homelessness, a group of agencies across Illinois that support people experiencing homelessness, which helped the research team conduct listening sessions, interviews, and focus groups, as well as Latine individuals who had experienced or were experiencing homelessness. Dr. Julia Albarracin, Department of Political Science, was a member of this roundtable. 

“Much of the public conversation about homelessness focuses on individual responsibility and personal choice. This report outlines how structural factors, such as a lack of affordable housing, part-time labor without a living wage, access to health insurance, and immigration status, often push Latine residents in Illinois towards homelessness,” said Iván Arenas, Senior Associate Director for Community Partnerships at UIC’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy.

A panel of experts, a person from OPEH, and a local support agency will discuss the structural factors that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in rates of Latine homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, employment, and healthcare access, as well as other insights and findings contained in the report. A community member will share his experience with housing insecurity.