Support for emergency shelter from village budgeted at $575,000 

The Village of Oak Park plans to provide $575,000 to Housing Forward for the operation of the Anderson Emergency Shelter in 2027, according to Kevin Bueso, the village’s finance chief. “Housing Forward values its longstanding partnership with the Village of Oak Park and its continued commitment to addressing homelessness in our community. The village’s support helps sustain critical services, including the Anderson Emergency Shelter, which has helped more than 200 individuals and families in its first year of operation,” wrote Housing Forward CEO Lynda Schueler in a statement to Wednesday Journal. Housing Forward opened the 40-bed emergency shelter in October 2025 at 112 S. Humphrey Ave. That doubled the number of unhoused residents the organization was able to serve with overnight shelter. The village awarded the organization $645,587 in January 2026 after they did not receive state funding. “This partnership allows us to provide a safe place for people experiencing hom