Illinois’ Black residents are eight times more likely to be homeless than white residents. A new report, Black Homelessness in Illinois: Structural Drivers of Inequality from the University of Illinois Chicago’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, describes structural factors such as a lack of affordable housing, evictions and incarceration. These factors, among others, have helped make Illinois’ racial homelessness gap one of the worst in the country, at double the national rate. The Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness is using this groundbreaking research to launch an effort to address homelessness disparities. This session will highlight the process of developing this report and the ongoing plans to make progress.