CHICAGO — The city has finally named its first chief homelessness officer: Sendy Soto.
Soto was appointed to the role Monday, nearly five months after Mayor Brandon Johnson announced he’d created the position with an executive order to tackle homelessness in the city.
Soto will develop a five-year plan to prevent and respond to homelessness in Chicago, and she will coordinate across the city’s departments and with nonprofit, local, state and federal groups to address the crisis, according to a Mayor’s Office news release.
Soto’s portfolio will include working to expand housing options for people who experience homelessness and housing insecurity, including creating rental assistance, rapid rehousing and non-congregate shelter programs, among other things, according to the Mayor’s Office.
“Chicago joins a small group of cities that have taken the bold step of creating a dedicated position that ensures every resident has access to safe, stable and affordable housing,” Soto said. “I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this work and I am ready to dream big.”
Soto was previously the senior director of Community Impact at the Chicago Community Trust, where she “drove funding toward underserved populations, particularly people facing housing insecurity and homelessness,” according to the Mayor’s Office.
Soto has also worked as the managing deputy commissioner for the Chicago Department of Housing, and she served on the state commission that helped create an affordable mental health center for neighbors in Logan Square, Avondale and Hermosa.
The position will be funded by a multi-year grant from Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness, according to the Mayor’s Office. Officials previously said the job will pay $150,000.
More than 68,000 Chicagoans experienced homelessness during 2021, including more than 44,000 people who temporarily stayed with others and “doubled up,” according to a report from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
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