National reentry model expands into Illinois with new home for formerly incarcerated women

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

CARBONDALE, Ill., (KBSI) — A new chapter in reentry support begins today in Carbondale as community leaders join national advocates to celebrate the opening of the Daffodil Home, a residence for formerly incarcerated women.

The new home is part of the S.A.F.E. Housing Network, a national reentry initiative founded by CNN Hero Susan Burton and her organization, A New Way of Life. The Daffodil Home is one of two new Illinois additions to the network and will initially welcome three women returning to the community after incarceration. The residence aims to help women rebuild their lives by providing safe housing, counseling, and community connection — essential supports proven to reduce recidivism.

Among those attending today’s 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony are Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey, City Manager and former Police Chief Stan Reno, City Councilmember Nancy Maxwell, Susan Burton, and Quianya Enge, founder and executive director of Beyond the Walls the Movement, NFP, which will oversee the new home.

“Reentry housing is one of the greatest unmet needs in America,” Burton said. “Each year, millions of women leave jails and prisons facing barriers that make rebuilding their lives incredibly difficult. Homes like Daffodil provide the safety and stability needed to heal, reconnect, and thrive.”

Across the country, more than 2.5 million women are released from jails and prisons each year, many facing limited access to housing, employment, and social support. The Sisters by Love House, another member of the A New Way of Life SAFE Housing Network, and programs like Daffodil Home form part of an international collective of over 30 organizations offering reentry services to formerly incarcerated individuals.

For security reasons, the address of the Daffodil Home is not being publicly released.