Jane Addams Hull House, a social service agency helping Chicago area residents for more than 120 years, will file for bankruptcy and close this spring.
Hull House management and its board of trustees said the current economy coupled with the increasing demand for services and diminishing funds forced the closure despite efforts to reduce operating costs and improve service.
"During these challenging times, we have remained committed to the mission established by Jane Addams more than 120 years ago," said Board Chair Stephen Saunders in a statement. "Now , our goal is to ensure the families and individuals we serve continue to have access to the services they need," he added.
To that end, Hull House is talking with Metropolitan Family Services and other agencies to see if they can provide services for people who depended on Hull House, reported Crain's Chicago Business.
The agency, 1030 W. Van Buren, provides assistance to 60,000 people a year.
It's named for Nobel Prize winner Jane Addams, who founded the agency in 1889 to help new immigrants in the city.
The Hull House agency's bankruptcy will not affect the University of Illinois at Chicago's Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, at 800 S. Halsted St., which will remain open.
