Champaign Seeks Community Input on Homelessness Blueprint

City launches survey to gather perspectives on addressing housing instability and homelessness.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 8:19pm

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of blurred figures moving through a hazy urban environment, conveying a sense of community and connection despite the challenges of housing instability.The city's initiative to address homelessness aims to gather diverse community perspectives to shape a comprehensive blueprint for change.Champaign Today

The City of Champaign, Illinois is seeking community input on an initiative to address housing needs and homelessness in the area. The city has launched a survey for residents, service providers, and other stakeholders to provide their perspectives as part of developing a Homelessness Prevention Blueprint Snapshot.

Why it matters

With national homelessness rates remaining high, Champaign is prioritizing community engagement to ensure its final blueprint is comprehensive and effective in making homelessness 'rare, brief, and non-recurring' in the local area.

The details

The survey is available online and in physical form at the City Building until May 15. The city's communications manager emphasized that gathering diverse perspectives from the community is an important step in creating the Homelessness Prevention Blueprint Snapshot, which will guide the city's efforts to address housing instability and homelessness.

  • The survey is open until May 15, 2026.

The players

City of Champaign

The local government of Champaign, Illinois, which is leading the initiative to develop a Homelessness Prevention Blueprint Snapshot.

Natalie Kenny Marquez

The Communications Manager for the City of Champaign, who emphasized the importance of community engagement in the blueprint development process.

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What they’re saying

“Community engagement is an important step in gathering perspectives from residents, service providers, and other stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and effective final Blueprint.”

— Natalie Kenny Marquez, Communications Manager, City of Champaign

What’s next

The city will use the survey responses to inform the development of the Homelessness Prevention Blueprint Snapshot, which is expected to be finalized later this year.

The takeaway

By prioritizing community input, Champaign is taking a proactive approach to addressing housing instability and homelessness in the local area, recognizing the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives to create an effective and impactful blueprint for the community.