Organizations in Chicago serving individuals and families experiencing housing and other basic needs insecurities.
Below is a selection of archival collections which touch upon homelessness specifically, while some of these may focus more on the marginalization of individuals based on class, and under-resourced neighborhoods.
The Prints & Photographs collection contains both analog and digital images. There are several collections listed below which have a focus on homelessness, or on related issues like housing and displacement. There is also a separate LibGuide which focuses on Image Research more generally and includes sections on searching our online digital images as well as the Chicago Daily News collection and the Chicago Sun-Times collection. The Image Topic Files also contain several folders containing photographs relating to housing and related topics, particularly under the heading “Economic & Social Conditions."
The library collection contains formal documents that address homelessness such as organizational reports, surveys, and analyses authored by scholars and institutions. These types of resources are useful in gaining a broad understanding or when seeking statistics and other metrics. Publications such as newsletters and collections of poetry, authored by individuals who have experienced housing insecurity, allow researchers to understand individual voices and experiences.
Most audio recordings listed below are from the Studs Terkel Program collection. Louis "Studs" Terkel, an author, historian, activist, and radio host, interviewed individuals, including youth, that have experienced homelessness and gives them a space to share their stories. Terkel also interviewed authors, photographers, and filmmakers that have worked to document and highlight complex issues around homelessness, as well as organizations that seek to provide support and assistance to those in need.