Thresholds celebrates opening of 'Living Room' on South Side
Nov 14, 2026
For a person experiencing a mental health crisis,
sometimes all they need is a safe place to regroup
and reset with help from someone
who understands what they're going through. Located near 47th and
Halstead on the border of Canaryville and Back of the Yards,
Thresholds has been a pillar on the
South Side for about 50 years.
In 2024, it opened its Center for Mental Well-Being South, providing
Providing mental health care and substance use treatment.
Now, its network of support is expanding
with the grand opening of a new space inside called
the Living Room.
It's a place where we say we see you.
It features a kitchen, fireplace, bookshelf,
washer-dryer, two bedrooms and a bathroom,
providing a safe haven for individuals experiencing a crisis.
They are welcome to drop in without needing to qualify for services.
Additionally, the living room is staffed by peers
who have walked a similar path.
Living rooms are alternatives to emergency rooms
and hospitals or other institutional settings.
They're not quite drop-in centers,
but they're places where people with mental health crises,
both large and small, can come for support.
We really want this to be part of the ecosystem
of great services for people who need us the most.
And you can come here with the ability to pay or not.
We turn nobody away.
We're meeting people exactly where they are.
So, one of the first things that you feel
when you come into the living room is that element of warmth,
but if you need a cup of coffee, if you haven't eaten all day,
if you haven't slept all night and you just need a nap.
Founded in 1959, Thresholds helps individuals reclaim
their lives through housing and employment support,
advocacy and community outreach.
The nonprofit also operates living rooms on Chicago's North Side
and in McHenry County.
Both the South Side Living Room and Crisis Mobile Response Team
are operating 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday,
with plans to expand soon to seven days a week.
Reporting on the South Side, Casey Cronin, Fox Chicago.