Information & Resources

Locations & Hours

  • Built in 2019 on the site of La Casa Norte’s (LCN) original Humboldt Park office, our state-of-the-art community center houses a food pantry, medical clinic, youth drop-in, administrative and case management offices, community room, and Pierce House — 25 units of permanent supportive apartments for youth and youth-led families.

    LCN Community Center & HQ

    Address: 3533 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: Mon.- Fri., 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

    Contact: 773.276.4900 | info@lacasanorte.org

    El Mercadito | Food Pantry

    Address: 3533 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: Mon., Wed., & Fri., 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Contact: 773.525.1777

    More Info: here

    Howard Brown Health | Medical Clinic

    Address: 3533 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: Mon., Wed., & Fri., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Hours: Tues., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Hours: Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

    Contact: 773.388.1600

    More info: here

    Casa Corazón | Youth Drop-In Center

    Address: 3533 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Ages: 16-24

    Contact: 773.276.4900, x 241

  • El Mercadito | Food Pantry

    Address: 3533 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: Mon., Wed., & Fri., 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Contact: 773.525.1777

    More Info: here

  • Howard Brown Health | Medical Clinic

    Address: 3533 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: Mon., Wed., & Fri., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Hours: Tues., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Hours: Thurs., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

    Contact: 773.388.1600

    More info: here

  • Casa Corazón | Emergency Shelter #1

    Address: 1736 W. 47th St., Chicago, IL 60629

    Hours: 24/7

    Ages: 18-24

    Capacity: 30 beds

    Contact: 773.276.4900, x 253

    Back of the Yards

    Casa Corazón | Emergency Shelter #2

    Address: 1940 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: 24/7

    Ages: 18-24

    Capacity: 10 beds

    Contact: 773.276.4900, x 290

    Logan Square

    Casa Corazón | Emergency Shelter #3

    Pregnant & Parenting Youth

    Address: 1942 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: 24/7

    Ages: 18-24 (and clients’ young children)

    Capacity: 5 private rooms

    Contact: 773.276.4900, x 292

    Logan Square

  • Casa Corazón | Youth Drop-In Center #1

    Address: 3533 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

    Hours: Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Ages: 16-24

    Contact: 773.276.4900, x 241

    Humboldt Park

    Casa Corazón | Youth Drop-In Center #2

    Address: 1736 W 47th St, Chicago, IL 60629

    Hours: Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

    Ages: 16-24

    Contact: 773.276.4900, x 251

    Back of the Yards

  • La Casa Norte Community Assistance Office

    Address: 2523 W 47th St, Chicago, IL 60632

    Hours: Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Contact: 773.276.4900, x 233

    Brighton Park

Agency Details

  • [ EMAIL ]

    General inquiries | info@lacasanorte.org

    Donation inquiries | donate@lacasanorte.org

    Media inquiries | media@lacasanorte.org

    Food pantry-specific volunteer inquiries | volunteers@nourishinghopechi.org

    All other volunteer inquiries | volunteer@lacasanorte.org

    [ PHONE ]

    Main line | 773.276.4900

    Community assistance office | 773.276.4900, x 233

    Shelter #1 - Back of the Yards | 773.276.4900, x 253

    Shelter #2 - Logan Square | 773.276.4900, x 290

    Shelter #3 - Logan Square | 773.276.4900, x 292

    Drop-in #1 - Humboldt Park | 773.276.4900, x 241

    Drop-in #2 - Back of the Yards | 773.276.4900, x 251

    El Mercadito food pantry - Humboldt Park | 773.525.1777

    Howard Brown Health clinic - Humboldt Park | 773.388.1600

  • [ MISSION ]

    La Casa Norte's mission is to serve youth and families confronting homelessness. We provide access to stable housing and deliver comprehensive services that act as a catalyst to transform lives and communities.

    [ HISTORY ]

    La Casa Norte began operations in 2002 as a two-person team working from a small West Side storefront. Now in our 22nd year and with a staff of 80, we are one of Chicago’s largest youth social service agencies.

    Through years of development and recalibration, La Casa Norte has honed a Housing First, Continuum of Care service model that is bilingual, trauma-informed, culturally competent, and impactful. We deliver a coordinated network of youth drop-ins, emergency shelters, and supportive housing programs (short term, transitional, and permanent) – all supplemented with 1:1 case management and holistic services.

    By alleviating the immediate stressors of housing and food insecurity, clients are able to dedicate the emotional bandwidth needed to successfully pursue academic goals, increase employability, develop financial literacy, address mental health, and plan for the future. These are, in their totality, life-long lessons that position clients to not only secure permanent housing and stable employment, but to thrive there.

    [ IMPACT ]

    In 2019, La Casa Norte served 5,000 clients; in 2023, we served nearly 23,000.

  • [ EMERGENCY SHELTERS ]

    Casa Corazón | Emergency Shelter #1

    Casa Corazón | Emergency Shelter #2

    Casa Corazón | Emergency Shelter #3

    [ DROP-IN CENTERS ]

    Casa Corazón | Youth Drop-In Center #1

    Casa Corazón | Youth Drop-In Center #2

    [ HOUSING PROGRAMS ]

    Transitional Housing | Solid Ground

    Rapid Re-Housing | Flexible Housing Pool

    Rapid Re-Housing | Keep Empowering Young Adults to Succeed

    Permanent Supportive Housing | Palante

    Permanent Supportive Housing | Solid Foundations

    Permanent Supportive Housing | Pierce House

    [ OUTREACH PROGRAMS ]

    Community Assistance | Public Health Ambasssadors

    [ SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ]

    Case management

    Food pantry

    Medical clinic

    Workforce development

    Academic scholarships

    Mental health services

    Anger management

    Art therapy

    Health care

    Extracurricular excursions for youth

    Digital & financial literacy workshops

    Transportation assistance

    Parenting classes

    Health & sexual education classes for youth

    Peer mentorship

  • Read La Casa Norte’s 2022 Annual Report here.

    (2023 Annual Report coming soon!)

  • [ SOCIAL MEDIA ]

    La Casa Norte Facebook

    La Casa Norte Instagram

    La Casa Norte LinkedIn

    La Casa Norte Threads

    La Casa Norte Twitter/X

    La Casa Norte YouTube

    [ NEWS MEDIA ]

    Read up on LCN media spotlights here.

    For media inquiries, please email media@lacasanorte.org.

    [ BLOG ]

    Check out La Casa Norte’s blog, which features agency updates and client testimonials.

  • Jan. 1 | New Year's Day

    Jan. 15 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

    May 27 | Memorial Day

    July 4 | Independence Day

    Sept. 2 | Labor Day

    Nov. 28 & 29 | Thanksgiving       

    Dec. 24 | Christmas Eve

    Dec. 25 | Christmas Day

    Dec. 31 | New Year's Eve

    These closures do NOT impact La Casa Norte's 3 emergency shelters for youth ages 18-24, which operate 24/7, 365 days a year.

  • ANGELINA | Rapid Re-Housing

    Read interview: here


    MAJOR | Solid Ground

    Read interview: here


    LILIANA | Community Assistance

    Read interview: here


    ANTHONY | Solid Ground

    Read interview: here

Get Involved

  • La Casa Norte actively engages volunteers in our work. Volunteers pitch in to assemble hygiene kits for youth at our emergency shelters, prepare lunches, cook meals, distribute food pantry donations, and help organize clothing drives.

    [ LCN VOLUNTEER IMPACT DAYS ]

    La Casa Norte holds quarterly Volunteer Impact Days at our Humboldt Park community center (3533 W North Ave), bringing together volunteers from across Chicagoland looking to give back.

    Groups of 20-30 volunteers assist with projects such as painting, planting flowers, preparing bagged lunches, and assembling hygiene kits. Activities are organized and facilitated by LCN’s volunteer coordinator and require little to no training.

    2024 Volunteer Impact Day Dates:

    March 21 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    June 20 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Sept. 26 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Dec. 3 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Interested individuals and groups can sign up HERE.

    [ EL MERCADITO FOOD PANTRY ]

    Volunteers are greatly needed at El Mercadito food pantry, located on the first floor of La Casa Norte’s Humboldt Park community center (3533 W North Ave) and managed by Nourishing Hope.

    Mondays | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and/or 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Tuesdays | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and/or 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Wednesdays | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and/or 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Register for a volunteer shift HERE.

    [ QUESTIONS? ]

    For La Casa Norte volunteer questions and inquiries, email:

    volunteer@lacasanorte.org

    For volunteer questions about El Mercadito food pantry, email:

    volunteers@nourishinghopechi.org

  • ONLINE

    To make a donation online: click here

    BY MAIL

    La Casa Norte

    3533 W North Ave

    Chicago, IL 60647

    ATTN: Development

    AMAZON WISH LIST

    Link to wish list: here
    Items purchased go directly to youth and family clients experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Chicago.

    QUESTIONS?

    Email donate@lacasanorte.org

  • La Casa Norte's associate board -- the Next Generation Board -- is a group of enthusiastic young professionals committed to helping community members in need. Over the past ten years, this associate board has served as ambassadors who support our mission through fundraising, networking, volunteerism, and advocacy. 

    To be considered, please submit an interest form.

  • Interested in working at La Casa Norte? Join our collaborative team working to end homelessness.

    Click HERE to view current job openings.

  • Stay up to date on all things La Casa Norte by subscribing to our monthly newsletter at the bottom of this page.

Housing Programs

  • [ TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ]

    Solid Ground

    Location: Humboldt Park (exact location disclosed upon placement)

    Eligibility: Unhoused male-identifying youth ages 18-21

    Capacity: 16 private bedrooms

    Placements via: Chicago Coordinated Entry System

    [ RAPID RE-HOUSING ]

    Keep Empowering Young Adults to Succeed

    Location: Citywide scattered-site apartments

    Eligibility: Unhoused young adults ages 18-30 who are concurrently navigating a positive HIV diagnosis

    Placements via: AIDS Foundation of Chicago

    Flexible Housing Pool

    Location: Citywide scattered-site apartments

    Eligibility: Unhoused youth and families of all ages

    Placements via: Chicago Coordinated Entry System

    [ PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ]

    Pierce House

    Location: La Casa Norte’s Humboldt Park Community Center

    Eligibility: Unhoused youth ages 18-24 and youth-led families

    Capacity: 25 apartments

    Placements via: Chicago Coordinated Entry System

    Palante

    Location: Citywide scattered-site apartments

    Eligibility: Unhoused youth and families of all ages

    Placements via: Chicago Coordinated Entry System

    Solid Foundations

    Location: Citywide scattered-site apartments

    Eligibility: Unhoused youth and families of all ages

    Placements via: Chicago Coordinated Entry System

  • In addition to emergency shelters and daytime drop-in centers, La Casa Norte offers a variety of transitional, rapid, and permanent supportive housing programs.

    All La Casa Norte housing placements (transitional, rapid, and permanent) are made via Chicago’s Coordinated Entry System.

  • The Coordinated Entry System (CES) is designed to ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access to the service system, no matter where or when they present for services.

    For this reason, La Casa Norte does not make housing placements through direct referral; instead, all placements must come through the Coordinated Entry System.

    A key feature of CES is that it coordinates housing and homeless assistance to prioritize those with the most severe service needs. This allows individuals/families experiencing or at risk of homelessness to be quickly identified, assessed, referred, and connected to housing and homeless assistance based on their unique needs and background.

  • [ STEP 1: LOCATE AN ACCESS POINT ]

    ACCESS POINTS are official locations that administer Coordinated Entry System (CES) housing assessments.

    A list of in-person Access Points can be found HERE.

    [ STEP 2: COMPLETE A HOUSING ASSESSMENT ]

    Coordinated Entry System housing assessments must be administered by a SKILLED ASSESSOR -- a trained professional who can officially administer and process CES housing assessments.

    The CES housing assessment was created to identify the right program to meet each applicant’s unique needs. Typically, the assessment process takes 20-30 minutes.

    [ STEP 3: WAIT TO BE MATCHED ]

    After administering a housing assessment, a Skilled Assessor will enter the information into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Put simply, this is an online database that centralizes information (e.g., available housing units, applicant eligibility, etc.).

    Though each applicant's individual wait time will vary, the process of matching a person/family to a housing program is as follows:

    Each time a program vacancy occurs, housing providers (like La Casa Norte) alert the Coordinated Entry System. Once alerted, this system blindly assesses and subsequently identifies the most suitable program candidate based on information gathered in the CES housing assessment. The identified applicant's contact information is then shared with the housing provider, who reaches out directly to the applicant. If, after speaking, the applicant and housing provider are in agreement as to the suitability of the placement, the move-in process may soon begin!

    [ QUESTIONS? ]

    For more information, please contact the Coordinated Entry Call Center at 312.361.1707 (M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

  • The Coordinated Entry System is designed to ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access to the service system, no matter where or when they present for services.

    For this reason, La Casa Norte does not make housing placements through direct referral; instead, placements must come through the Coordinated Entry System.

  • To be eligible for La Casa Norte's housing programs (transitional, rapid, and permanent), clients must be 18 years or older.

    [ EXTERNAL RESOURCES ]

    360 Youth Services | Housing Programs (ages 13-24)

    IDHS | Homeless Youth Provider Agencies List (ages 12-24)

    Mercy Home | Youth Residential Program (ages 12+)

    The Night Ministry | 120-Day Interim Housing Project (ages 14-20)

    PRCC | El Rescate Transitional Living Program (ages 12-18)

    Shelter, Inc. | Housing Programs (ages 14-24)

    Youth Outreach Services | Housing Programs (ages 16-24)

  • Yes; although 18- to 24-year-olds are the focus of much of La Casa Norte's housing programs, our Palante permanent supportive housing program serves adults and families of all ages, with scattered-site apartments throughout Chicago.

Rental Assistance

Volunteers

  • La Casa Norte actively engages volunteers in our work. Volunteers pitch in to assemble hygiene kits for youth at our emergency shelters, prepare lunches, cook meals, distribute food pantry donations, and help organize clothing drives.

    [ VOLUNTEER IMPACT DAYS ]

    New in 2024, La Casa Norte is holding quarterly Volunteer Impact Days at our Humboldt Park community center (3533 W North Ave) to bring together volunteers from across Chicagoland looking to give back. Groups of 20-30 volunteers assist with projects such as painting, planting flowers, preparing bagged lunches, and assembling hygiene kits. Activities are organized and facilitated by LCN’s volunteer coordinator and require little to no training. Volunteer Impact Day dates in 2024 are as follows:

    March 21, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    June 20, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Sept. 26, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Dec. 3, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Interested individuals and groups can sign up HERE.

    [ QUESTIONS? ]

    For La Casa Norte volunteer questions and inquiries, please email:

    volunteer@lacasanorte.org

    For food pantry-specific volunteer questions and inquiries, please email:

    volunteers@nourishinghopechi.org

  • 2024 VOLUNTEER IMPACT DAY DATES

    March 21, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    June 20, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Sept. 26, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Dec. 3, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    Interested individuals and groups can sign up here.

    QUESTIONS?

    Email: volunteer@lacasanorte.org

  • Volunteers are greatly needed at El Mercadito food pantry, located on the first floor of La Casa Norte’s Humboldt Park community center (3533 W North Ave).

    VOLUNTEER SHIFTS

    Mondays | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and/or 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Tuesdays | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and/or 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Wednesdays | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and/or 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

    Each shift can accommodate up to 10 volunteers. Volunteers distribute food to clients, stock shelves, unload deliveries, and sort donations. For safety and ease of movement, closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing are encouraged.

    Nourishing Hope (formerly Lakeview Pantry) manages El Mercadito, and you can register for a volunteer shift here.

    QUESTIONS?

    Email volunteers@nourishinghopechi.org

Donations

  • ONLINE

    To make a donation online, click here

    BY MAIL

    La Casa Norte

    3533 W North Ave

    Chicago, IL 60647

    ATTN: Development

    QUESTIONS?

    Email donate@lacasanorte.org

  • Yes, La Casa Norte’s Amazon wish list can be found HERE.

    All items purchased go directly to youth and family clients experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Chicago.

    Currently, our most pressing donation need is: men's and women's socks.

  • La Casa Norte is not currently able to accept used clothing donations. We appreciate your understanding.

  • La Casa Norte's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 36-4041525.

External Resources