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Our group, the UChicago Harm Reduction Project, does overdose prevention work in Chicago, through naloxone distribution and street outreach that connects people to treatment servics. 

 

We first went to Berea in winter of 2023 after hearing about the overdose and eviction crisis there from the Appalachia Community Meal Project (ACM). 

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After raising funds, through fundraisers at UChicago and Williams College, we joined ACM and other community groups in the area to distribute food, clothing, winter gear, and other essentials.

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Through this work, we had numerous conversations with community organizers in Berea, as well as those in Berea who were homeless, housing-insecure, or on the brink of eviction. We learned the stories of numerous individuals who received social security, worked full time jobs, or had steady income through other means, who were unable to use their resources to escape their situation due to the prohibitive costs of housing deposits. 

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Identifying several individuals who could benefit from cash-assistance, we raised funds to cover the costs of deposits and other apartment start-up costs when necessary, such as first-months rent. 

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We're hoping to scale up this project, in collaboration with local groups in Berea, to raise money to move more individuals into stable housing.