Elgin receives statewide honor for response to homelessness
Elgin was recognized this week by the state of Illinois for its response in the wake of a series of fires at a homeless encampment and the subsequent relocation of the people living there.
Illinois honored the city with the “Recognition of Service for Local Government” award at the state’s 2025 Home Illinois Summit, an event dedicated to addressing homelessness through collaboration and innovation.
Christine Haley, the chief homelessness officer for the state, presented the award in recognition of Elgin’s leadership, innovation and compassionate response to homelessness, according to a press release.
Haley cited the city’s swift coordinated response following a series of fires at “Tent City,” a roughly 8-acre site along the west side of the Fox River that had served as a homeless encampment for 20 to 30 years.
With support from the state’s Unsheltered Pilot Program, the city partnered with the Association for Individual Development (AID) to relocate 42 individuals into hotel-based temporary housing at the Lexington Inn & Suites, providing trauma-informed care and wraparound services.
Haley also highlighted Elgin’s commitment to long-term solutions, including creating a full-time homelessness response position and the city’s data-driven approach to addressing community needs.
Mayor David Kaptain, Assistant City Manager Karina Nava, Homelessness Response Coordinator Jena Hencin and Association for Individual Development President and CEO Lore Baker were presented the award in Rosemont on June 10.
“Leadership means preparing for the moment before it arrives,” Elgin Mayor David Kaptain said in the release. “When the fires happened, we didn’t scramble — we acted. That’s because our city staff and community partners had already laid the groundwork.”
Kaptain said Elgin is a community that believes in “stepping up together.”
“This recognition reminds us that meaningful change doesn’t come from a single moment,” he said. “It comes from a city choosing to lead differently.”