About Us mission and vision

Our Mission

CHH honors every person’s right to a home and health care, by bridging the housing and health care systems, to improve the lives of Chicagoans experiencing homelessness.

Our Vision

Every person has a place to call home that helps them reach their full potential.

Our History

The origins of the Center for Housing and Health (CHH) are connected to the Chicago Housing for Health Partnership (CHHP) program, which provided permanent supportive housing and intensive case management for people who were experiencing homelessness and hospitalized. The results generated from CHHP data inspired the creation of the Center to address the barriers that people experiencing chronic homelessness face. This pursuit evolved into the establishment of CHH as a separate 501(c)(3) supporting organization of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago in February 2010 to extend its work beyond HIV/AIDS by promoting effective housing options for people experiencing homelessness and living with a wide range of chronic illnesses.

In 2014, CHH established the Better Health through Housing (BHH) Collaborative, an alliance of 28 supportive housing agencies across Chicago and Cook County dedicated to bridging the gap between the housing and health care sectors. CHH was selected as the lead agency and convener for this new project, which eventually evolved into a multi-agency program administered by CHH called the Flexible Housing Pool. In 2023, the Flexible Housing Pool (FHP) operated by CHH and partners served its 1,000th person, including over 400 children in families with FHP housing, making it the organization’s largest ever program. CHH continues to support Chicago and Cook County residents experiencing homelessness to find better housing solutions.

Our Staff

  • Peter Toepfer

    Executive Director

  • Brandi Calvert

    Vice President, Housing Strategy

  • Laurie Wettstead

    Chief Financial Officer

  • Dave Thomas

    Senior Director, Flexible Housing Pool

  • Carolyn Bloom

    Program Manager – Harm Reduction

  • Melanie Paul

    Manager, Housing Supportive Services

  • Saúl Zepada

    Senior Director,
    Housing Operations

  • Jennifer Jimenez

    Director, Systems Change

  • Alex Garcia

    Controller

  • Liza Duchesneau

    FHP Senior Manager-Adult Program

  • Brittany M. Johnson

    FHP Senior Manager-Youth Program

  • Ann Barron

    Housing Supportive Services Senior Specialist

  • Deidre Kleist

    FHP Adult Program Manager

  • Ilona Wilsey

    Landlord Engagement Specialist

  • Ivan Davis

    FHP Reentry Program Manager

  • Keyala Hill

    FHP Youth Program Manager

  • Kerry Worley

    Housing Specialist

  • Julece Glaum

    Housing Specialist

  • Tiara Bickart

    Housing Specialist

  • Rachel Kimbrough

    Landlord Engagement Specialist

  • Nikki Colbert

    Landlord Engagement Specialist

  • Brooks Passarelli

    Landlord Engagement Specialist

  • Charita Pates-Sturgies

    FHP Manager, Outreach & Housing Placement

  • Coraima Sanchez-Rodriguez

    Landlord Engagement Specialist

  • Chiayu McGill

    Coordinated Entry Specialist

  • Elizabeth Murray

    Landlord Engagement Manager

  • Keyonna Everett

    Housing Specialist

  • Kierra Craig

    Landlord Engagement Specialist

  • Olivia Price

    Housing Systems Navigation Specialist

Our Board

  • Peter Toepfer
    Center for Housing and Health

    Executive Director

  • Kuliva Wilburn
    Wilburn Strategic Solutions

    Chair

  • Joanna Trotter
    JP Morgan Chase Foundation

    Vice-Chair

  • Chad Thompson
    Lyceum Leadership Consulting

    Treasurer

  • Stephanie Altman
    Shriver Center on Poverty Law

    Member

  • Simone Koehlinger
    AIDS Foundation Chicago

    Member (ex-officio)

  • Chris O’Hara
    Thresholds

    Member

  • Christy Prahl
    Crown Family Philanthropies

    Member

  • Alejandro Segura
    JP Morgan Chase

    Member

  • Dr. Paviella Foster
    Howard Brown Health Center

    Member

Partners and Funders

Financial Information