Staben House

After an amazing 33 years of dedicated service, the Waukegan Township family would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Leticia E. Castellanos on her retirement! Lety has served as Director of both Eddie Washington Center and Staben House transitional housing facilities as well as the Belize Consulate in Chicago.

Thank you for all that you’ve done for the men, women and children of Waukegan Township, each member of your Township family and never forget that you are loved abundantly and will be missed immensely!

staben testimonial5
  1. Staben House Annual Report March 2021 to Feb 2022

Mission Statement


Waukegan Township Staben House provides transitional housing and community enrichment services to homeless women with children. We strive to develop goals with families, assist them in establishing and sustaining permanent housing, increasing skills, income and achieving greater self-determination.

Services We Provide

  • Child Care Assistance
  • Comprehensive Case Management
  • Daily Children's Activities
  • Education Assistance
  • Employment Assistance
  • Follow-Up Services for Up to 6 Months
  • Housing Referral for Up to 6 Months
  • Life Skills Education
  • One-on-One Counseling
  • Parent Training
  • Permanent Housing Assistance
  • Rent Assistance
  • Transportation Assistance

History of Staben House


Waukegan Township Staben House is a subsidiary of Waukegan Township. The eradication and addressing the causes of homelessness has long been on the forefront of Waukegan Township's mission. In keeping with this goal and vision, Waukegan Township Supervisor Patricia Jones and the Board of Trustees – Katherine Rothwell-Francis, Ron Short, Lucy Rios and Richard Balmes realized the need for a homeless facility for women with children. Ron Short a long time Waukegan Township Trustee set out on a mission and stumbled into what is now Staben House.  

The House was built in 1930 for Dr. Robert Smith a native of Barbados who later became Chief of Staff at St. Therese Medical Center. In 1963 the House was sold to Dr. DeLong another prominent physician at St. Therese. He converted the rear of the house into treatment rooms. In 1996 Waukegan Township purchased and converted it into a transitional housing facility for homeless women with children. Click here for house makeover pictures.

"The only way to empower a single mother who is homeless is to provide her and her children with the opportunity to gain skills and education." - (Patricia Jones, Waukegan Township Supervisor)


Named in Memory

The house is named in memory of the late Milton E. Staben, former Waukegan Township Supervisor, and his son Peter Staben, a Lake County attorney. Both Milt and Peter dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of the impoverished.

Program Design

The program was designed to provide a base to operate from, comprehensive case management, budget management skills, and education to develop the necessary skills to succeed, break the cycle of homelessness and live independently. The opening of Staben House in July of 1997 provided a counterpart to Eddie Washington Center by providing assistance for homeless women and their children. Today, homelessness is less a housing issue than a poverty issue, an education issue, a family support issue, and most importantly, a children's issue.