Home for Good Legislation Unveiled
Advocates from across Illinois are working with Illinois Rep. Maurice West and Sen. Adriane Johnson to pass Home for Good (SB 4162), a comprehensive and compassionate housing strategy for those leaving prison.
The Home for Good program (SB4162), sponsored by Rep. Maurice West and Sen. Adriane Johnson, improves housing and support services for people returning from prison with a comprehensive plan that is cost-effective and humane – and one that recognizes the unique barriers people with criminal records face.
As many as 70% of people struggle with homelessness and unstable housing before they are incarcerated and these challenges remain when they leave.
Illinois needs a solution.
Home for Good is smart, compassionate policy that will save taxpayer dollars and create safer, stronger communities across Illinois by offering rental assistance, wraparound services, reentry housing development and training and technical assistance to support reentry housing development.
The legislation has been advanced by the Home for Good Coalition, a group of 62 housing, community and reentry organizations.
Home for Good expands existing successful housing programs and support services for those returning home from prison.
Home for Good saves taxpayer dollars and generates economic opportunity and has a projected $477 million cost benefit within three years.
Home for Good addresses the unique barriers people exiting prison and those with criminal records face to find housing and addresses inequities in the housing and human services systems.
Home for Good was designed with direct input from those who have been incarcerated and those who have criminal records, alongside policy and research partners.
Home for Good is a coalition of 60-plus organizations who know first-hand the barriers and the struggle of finding safe, stable housing. They also know the solution.
Home for Good is a statewide investment that will make Illinois communities safer and stronger.
News & Updates
- Press Release: Senator Adriane Johnson: “Johnson joins coalition to unveil Home for Good proposal to strengthen public safety and support successful reentry” (February 25, 2026)
- WAND: “Home for Good: IL bill could expand housing, support services for people returning from prison” (February 25, 2026)
- Around PTown: “New Home for Good Legislation will Reduce Homelessness, Increase Public Safety while Saving Taxpayer Money” (February 25, 2026)
- Chambana Today: "Coalition unveils ‘Home for Good’ legislation aimed at reducing homelessness among returning citizens" (February 25, 2026)
- The TriiBE: "Criminal justice advocates propose bill to prevent homelessness among formerly incarcerated people" (February 25, 2026)
- Press Release: Home for Good legislation unveiled in Springfield. Coalition members joined Sponsors West and Johnson at the Illinois Capitol to announce program details. (February 25, 2026)
- Capital Fax: "It's Just a Bill" (February 23, 2026)
- Chicago Sun-Times: "Thousands leaving Illinois prisons face high risk of housing instability, new study finds" (December 4, 2025)
- Loyola University: Coming Home? Assessing the Housing Needs of People Nearing Release from Illinois Prisons (December 4, 2025)
About Home for Good
The Problem: There is a strong link between incarceration and housing instability no effective statewide plan to address it.
Stable housing & support services help people build lives as contributing members of strong and safe communities. However, people with arrest and conviction records face barriers in accessing stable housing, including discrimination, stigma, & inadequate affordable housing supply
45% of people leaving IDOC are unemployed for at least 3 years.
Only 34 affordable & available homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income IL renters.
37% of people return to Illinois prisons within three years of release, costing $199,000 each time.
70% of people in IDOC were homeless or unstably housed before prison.
The Solution: Home for Good creates a statewide, comprehensive program that builds on the success of existing reentry housing models.
Programs that serve as the model have proven to work – reducing recidivism by up to 68%.
Recidivism is expensive – up to $199,000 per return. It is in the state’s best interest to avoid returning people to prison, both for individuals and the financial health of Illinois.
There is even more cost-benefit to Home for Good. For every $1 invested in Home for Good solutions like reentry rental subsidies and supports services, there is a $5 return within 3 years. That is a $477 million cost-benefit within 3 years.
A Home for Good oversight board will be monitoring all of this, ensuring that that community organizations across Illinois are connected to the housing programs and that the program is functioning as intended.
Illinois communities will be safer and stronger.
Home for Good consists of four program elements, each intended to address a critical reentry issue. Legislation will appropriate funds to the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), who will collaborate with the Illinois Department of Corrections. These agencies will disburse the funds through grants to community-based reentry or development organizations.
Rental Assistance. Funding allocated to the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) will provide rental subsidies to returning residents, helping them access housing so they can focus on building stability and independence in other aspects of their lives.
Wraparound Services. Designed to build on a legacy of successful community-based reentry organizations providing reentry navigation and connecting returning residents to needed services including behavioral health, physical health, job training, transportation, furniture and food, childcare, and more.
Reentry Housing Development will focus on creating additional housing units, helping to alleviate the statewide affordable housing shortage, while minimizing the possibility of landlord discrimination.
Creation of the Home for Good Institute, which will provide cohort-based training and technical assistance to community-based
Home for Good is supported by the following organizations:
For media inquiries, contact Annie Sweeney at annie@iljp.org.
To get involved with advocacy, contact Isabel Kennon at Isabel@iljp.org.