Construction Starts For Hilda’s Place At Lake Street Church: Report

EVANSTON, IL — Construction has begun on the return of Hilda’s Place, the longtime Evanston shelter for people experiencing homelessness, with plans to reopen the site as a year-round overnight shelter in late spring 2027.

According to Connections for the Homeless, the basement of Lake Street Church, where Hilda’s Place now operates as a daytime service center, will reopen as a new 30-bed overnight shelter serving people of all genders. The organization said emergency shelter services at the site have not been available since the shelter shut down during the pandemic.

“We haven’t had emergency shelter since we had to shut down during the pandemic, but the need never disappeared. We’re thrilled to be able to bring back this essential service in a fully renovated space,” Connections for the Homeless said.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Hilda’s Place has provided overnight housing in the basement of Lake Street Church for more than 40 years, making it one of the state's longest-running emergency shelters. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Connections for the Homeless has run Hilda’s Place solely as a daytime service center.

The renovation project is backed by more than $6.5 million in grant funding and is expected to restore overnight shelter services by spring 2027. Project funding includes a $2 million federal grant secured in 2023 by 9th District U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, along with support from the City of Evanston, an anonymous local philanthropist and private donors, according to the Tribune.

As construction moves ahead, daytime operations will shift within the church building. Starting Aug. 10, Hilda’s Place drop-in services will move to the first and second floors of Lake Street Church.

The project marks a major change for a site that has continued to serve people during the day even after overnight shelter operations stopped. When the work is complete, the renovated basement is expected to once again house overnight guests year-round.

Read more from the Chicago Tribune: Closed since COVID, Evanston’s Lake Street Church will renovate, reopen homeless shelter