The Haven on Lincoln

Chicago faces a critical shortage of dignified shelter options, particularly for men experiencing homelessness, who make up nearly 70% of the city’s unhoused population but have access to less than 25% of available shelter beds. Traditional congregate shelters limit engagement with care and may reinforce previous trauma, creating an urgent need for scalable, non-congregate environments that provide pathways to permanent housing.

Gensler transformed the 1960s motel into a stabilization housing facility, leveraging adaptive reuse to provide private rooms, bathrooms, and wraparound support services. Informed by post-occupancy research from North Side Housing & Supportive Services and developed in collaboration with Chicago’s Department of Housing and Department of Public Health, the design prioritizes dignity, agency, and well-being through its residential-scale spaces, including a healing garden and group dining area.

The Haven demonstrates how design can become part of supportive care. As the Midwest’s first all-electric shelter, the project advances a broader integration of public health, housing, and sustainability within the built environment. By reusing an existing motel, it shows how underutilized buildings can be repositioned to address civic needs, while offering residents conditions that support recovery and stability during their transition toward long-term housing.