Chicago Help Initiative Plans Walk Against Homeless/Hunger Aid Cuts

Non-Profit Cites Impending $60 Million Reductions to Programs

The violent actions by militarized federal law enforcement personnel carrying out the Trump administration's immigrant removal policies have drawn strong pushback by opponents, which have included organized and impromptu gatherings and marches — here in Chicago and in many communities across the United States.

Yet even as the recent deadly incidents in Minneapolis have thrust this issue into the national spotlight, there are other important causes that face threats and devastation because of proposed or recently enacted federal budget cuts.

One of these is the effort to assist individuals and families facing homelessness and hunger. The Chicago Help Initiative non-profit has scheduled a Winter Walk on Thursday, February 8 to draw public attention to this issue.

The event will begin at Humboldt Park Field House, where registration will open at 9:15 a.m., with the two-mile walk beginning at 10 a.m.

According to a press release from Chicago Help Initiative:

"Chicago’s homelessness response system could lose tens of millions of dollars within weeks under proposed federal funding changes, a shift advocates warn would dramatically increase street homelessness during the coldest months of the year...

"According to providers on the front lines, a federal proposal would restructure homelessness funding by shifting funds from guaranteed allocations to a nationally competitive pool, allowing the administration to decide which cities receive support.

Chicago currently receives approximately $90 million annually through these programs. Under the proposal, that amount could drop to as little as $30 million."

Click the buttons below to learn more about Chicago Help Initiative and to register for the walk. The full press release, which include a fact sheet, follows.

VISIT CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE'S WEBSITE

REGISTER ONLINE FOR THE WINTER WALK

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Chicago Help Initiative press release

​Chicago Faces Potential $60 Million Cut to Homeless Services as Winter Walk Mobilizes Emergency Response

Chicago’s homelessness response system could lose tens of millions of dollars within weeks under proposed federal funding changes, a shift advocates warn would dramatically increase street homelessness during the coldest months of the year.

Additionally, delays on these issues are problematic. The current funding allocation for each housing provider expires between January 1st and May 1st on a rolling basis, potentially triggering a cascading crisis of housing closures and evictions. Lack of certainty about eventual funding, given that the issues are still in court and pending decisions and appeals, makes bridge funding very difficult. The result is a slower system elimination, but the same outcome. 

According to providers on the front lines, a federal proposal would restructure homelessness funding by shifting funds from guaranteed allocations to a nationally competitive pool, allowing the administration to decide which cities receive support.

Chicago currently receives approximately $90 million annually through these programs. Under the proposal, that amount could drop to as little as $30 million.

Some Chicago homelessness service providers have already begun running out of federal funding as of January 1, while others face funding expirations in the coming weeks —creating immediate instability across shelters, outreach programs, and recovery housing.

“This would be a massive hit to a system that is already stretched thin,” said Doug Fraser, Executive Director of Chicago Help Initiative. “We are talking about funding that keeps people housed, fed, and alive being pulled away in the middle of winter.”

Even if pending legal challenges ultimately block the funding restructuring, advocates warn that the federal government is not obligated to release homelessness funding until May — a delay that could cause organizations to collapse months before any final ruling takes effect.

“What we’re seeing is not just an attempt to cut the system — it’s an attempt to starve it. By delaying funding, organizations will crash one by one between January and April. By the time May arrives, only the biggest providers may still be standing.”

At the same time, changes to SNAP rules are removing long-standing exemptions that allowed unhoused individuals to receive food assistance without meeting work requirements — requirements advocates say are impossible to meet without stable housing, access to showers, or even a place to store clothing.

“Expecting someone to get and keep a job while sleeping outside in February is a fantasy,” Fraser said. “But it’s a fantasy with real consequences.”

These changes come on top of earlier cuts to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the food pantry system, as well as a recent freeze on federal childcare funding in several major cities — moves that advocates say will push more low-income families into already overburdened emergency food and housing systems.

Against this backdrop, Winter Walk Chicago will take place on February 8 in Humboldt Park, bringing together service providers, advocates, and community members in a coordinated response. Registration at the Humboldt Park Field House is at 9:15 AM; the walk begins at 10 AM.

Winter Walk is organized locally by the Chicago Help Initiative and includes six organizations at this point, but with an option to raise funds for a preferred homeless organization through CCH, additional organizations serving Chicago’s homeless and disenfranchised communities. Other organizations may still join, provided funds raised support people experiencing homelessness.

Participants walk a two-mile route and solicit donations from their networks. One hundred percent of the money raised by each walker goes directly to the organization they are walking for. No funds are diverted elsewhere. Register here to walk: https://tinyurl.com/3epdeeys

“This is not a charity stroll,” Fraser said. “Winter Walk is a catalyst. The mission is to hold together a system that is about to be torn apart.”

Founded by a Boston-based organization, Winter Walk now takes place in multiple cities nationwide. Chicago’s first Winter Walk last year drew 500 participants. Organizers are aiming for at least 1,000 walkers this year amid escalating funding pressures.

“If these cuts go through,” Fraser warned, “Chicago will see more tents in parks, more people under viaducts, more people discharged from hospitals with nowhere to recover. That outcome is not inevitable—but it is where we’re headed if nothing changes,” he said.

About The Chicago Help InitiativeThe Chicago Help Initiative (CHI) is a nonprofit serving individuals experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and poverty through prepared meals, case management, health resources, job readiness programs, and a Free Store for essential items. With no government funding and a 95% volunteer-run model, CHI supports over 44,000 people annually—powered entirely by community compassion. Learn more at chicagohelpinitiative.org 

FACT SHEET

Why Winter Walk Chicago Matters Right Now

Federal Funding Threat

·       Proposed restructuring could cut Chicago homelessness funding by up to two-thirds

·       Decision may be tied to January–February federal budget action

·       Some providers already lost funding as of January 1

·       The federal government is not required to release funds until May

·       Providers already operating on delayed or borrowed funds

SNAP Policy Changes

·       Removal of homelessness exemptions

·       Work requirements applied to people without housing

·       Immediate reduction in food access

Additional System Strain

·       Earlier cuts to the Greater Chicago Food Depository

·       Increased pressure on food pantries

·       Freeze on federal childcare funding in major cities

·       More families are pushed to food insecurity and housing instability

Projected Impact

·       Sharp increase in unsheltered homelessness

·       More hospital discharges without recovery housing

·       Increased risk of hypothermia, illness, and death

·       Dozens of exposure-related deaths each winter, with advocates estimating higher true numbers

·       Visible expansion of encampments across the city

Human Impact

·       More people outside means:

o   More ER visits

o   More amputations

o   More permanent health damage

o   More preventable deaths

Doug Fraser, Chicago Help Initiative Executive Director: “This isn’t abstract. More people outside means more people freezing to death. That’s the reality.”

Winter Walk Chicago

·       Date: February 8, 2026

·       Time: 9:15 AM Registration; 10 AM Walk

·       Location: Humboldt Park Field House

·       Distance: 2 miles

·       Participants: Individuals walk for an organization of their choice

·       Funding: 100% of donations go directly to that organization

·       Eligibility: Funds must serve homeless or disenfranchised communities

·       Registration: https://tinyurl.com/3epdeeys

What Is Winter Walk?

Winter Walk is a national initiative founded in Boston that brings communities together during winter to support organizations serving people experiencing homelessness. Chicago hosted its first Winter Walk last year, drawing 500 participants—one of the largest first-year turnouts nationally. 

How Winter Walk Chicago Works

·       Individuals register to walk a two-mile route (Humboldt Park, Feb. 8)

·       Each participant chooses an organization they are walking for

·       Walkers solicit donation commitments from friends, family, and colleagues

·       100% of funds raised go directly to that organization

·       No funds are pooled or diverted

·       Funds must support homeless or disenfranchised populations

Who Is Participating

·       Chicago Help Initiative (organizer)

·       6 additional Chicago-based organizations

·       Organizations include shelters, outreach teams, recovery housing providers, and advocacy groups

If you want to support a different organization that serves homeless, CCH is the umbrella organization to do that through. Contact : Alina Andino :aandino@chicagohomeless.org

Why It Matters This Year

Winter Walk 2026 is taking place amid:

·       Potential $60M loss in federal homelessness funding

·       SNAP eligibility changes affecting unhoused people

·       Winter conditions that turn policy decisions into immediate health risks

“Winter Walk is a catalyst,” says Doug Fraser. “The mission is protecting human dignity when systems are being dismantled.”

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