Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the appointment of Sendy Soto as the City of Chicago’s first Chief Homelessness Officer (CHO). Soto will be tasked with coordinating across City departments and sister agencies and developing a five-year plan to address the homelessness crisis in Chicago.  Mayor Johnson made the announcement at the grand opening of Lawson House, a $128 million renovation project to modernize and preserve affordable apartment units. The rehabilitation of the historic 200,000-square-foot, 24-story apartment complex transformed the building’s 583 single-room occupancy units (SROs) into over 400 affordable apartment units with private kitchens and bathrooms. The ground floor renovation now includes retail space, apartment amenities, and social services for Lawson House tenants. A new rooftop terrace will provide additional space for social services programming for residents.  Soto will work in alignment with the county, state, and federal government, particularly the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, and the White House ALL INside initiative. In partnership with City departments and sister agencies, Soto will aim to expand the inventory of housing options for people experiencing homelessness including rental assistance, rapid rehousing, non-congregate shelter, stabilization housing, permanent supportive housing, and opportunities for residents to transition out of supportive housing.  Soto brings over two decades of experience in public policy addressing issues related to homelessness, housing, community safety, and health and human services. As the Senior Director of Community Impact at The Chicago Community Trust, Soto drove funding towards underserved populations, particularly people facing housing insecurity and homelessness.