Officials agree DeKalb County has needs more transitional housing for an overwhelming homeless population.

Low wages, poor credit and a lack of affordable housing have contributed to the homeless situation in DeKalb, said Hope Haven’s Executive Director Lesly Wicks.

Hope Haven and the city of DeKalb provide transitional housing for homeless families.

Families in transitional housing are considered homeless, but they have a place to stay until they find a permanent home, said Sue Guio, DeKalb community service planner.

There are 30 individuals and 40 families waiting to be housed at Hope Haven, Wicks said. However, it cannot hold many more people.

Dresser Court, a Hope Haven housing facility, also has exceeded its capacity of 24 with 37 residents.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gives the city a $500,000 grant each year.

“The [Community Development Block Grant] will be used for housing programs such as housing rehab and assistance for first time buyers,” Guio said.

A Thursday meeting held Thursday at the Community Development Department, 223 S. Fourth St., gathered community organizations to discuss what programs agencies in DeKalb want more funding to go to.

Representatives from Hope Haven, Ben Gordon Center, Housing Authority, Elder Care Services, Childcare Learning Center, Kishwaukee College, Bellview Apartments, Canterbury Place Apartments and the Center for Counseling discussed affordable housing and elderly care.

Marshall Hayes, Elder Care Services executive director, said in-home care is an alternative to nursing homes that are underfunded.

Transitional housing for the elderly provides some services for the elderly, such as meals, but does not offer all the services that are provided in nursing homes, Guio said.

Another issue discussed at the CDBG meeting was accommodations for the Latino population.

Services in DeKalb did not notice how much they were needed by Latinos until bilingual speakers were hired. They brought the Latino community’s demand for services to the surface, Guio said.

A first draft of the plan will be made by the City Council on Nov. 12. The plan will tell the specifics of the project and the projected costs.