On Wednesday, groups led by people living in poverty and pushing for bold solutions to tackle Chicago’s affordable housing crisis and the lack of investment in its neighborhoods, said that Mayor Lori Lightfoot neglected to take their views into account during a much-heralded Poverty Summit she held last week purportedly to address their needs.
Pointing to Lightfoot’s four-part poverty plan unveiled at the summit, the groups called attention to the fact that the ideas that people experiencing poverty have been promoting for months were absent from the conversation.
“The people who know what solutions will work to end poverty are those that have been living it every day,” said Colt Seidman, a leader with ONE Northside. “We have been trying to work with Mayor Lightfoot on concrete solutions since last May, but the mayor has neither embraced them nor responded to requests to reach a middle ground.”
Since the beginning of the mayor’s term, community groups and aldermen have been pushing for solutions to address poverty which ensure that those who can afford it, pay their fair share to tackle the city’s problems. Mayor Lightfoot has ignored, watered down, or outright opposed many of these solutions. For instance, the Bring Chicago Home Coalition has an offer on the table that would give the mayor all the revenue that she is seeking from the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), but she has yet to agree to strike a deal with the coalition, despite supporting the coalition’s proposal during her campaign for mayor. Bring Chicago Home is working to raise the RETT on properties over $1 million to generate dedicated funds to address homelessness.
“Our mayor says she wants to end poverty in a generation and collaborate with community groups,” said Craig Nance, a grassroots leader with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. “But the day before her poverty summit, she came out clearly against a compromise proposal that would both close a hole in the city’s budget and significantly reduce the number of Chicagoans experiencing homelessness. She claims it is too much money to spend on one issue. However, if the mayor truly wants bold solutions to poverty, it will require a deep investment in addressing homelessness, an extreme symptom of poverty. She should be jumping on board.”
In addition, many groups have been working to reform the city’s TIF program to stop giving handouts to big developers and continuing to drive dollars into downtown development, an area that is clearly not blighted. The Grassroots Collaborative wants to see downtown TIFs shut down and resources spent in neighborhoods where jobs that can lift people out of poverty are lacking. However, there is concern that the mayor’s proposed reforms would loosen restrictions on downtown spending and hand control over decisions about TIFs to a politically connected corporation.
“Ending poverty requires a significant commitment of resources, but when the mayor was asked about this at the summit, she brushed it aside and said it was just a matter of greater fiscal responsibility,” said Veronica Rodriguez of Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. “We strongly disagree. If we want to tackle big problems like the lack of affordable housing and the racial disparities in health in the city, we need progressive revenue solutions and we need to reclaim our property tax dollars in TIF districts for investment in schools and communities that need development.”
The Lift the Ban Coalition is advocating to abolish the state law that bans rent control, a measure that could greatly increase housing affordability in the city. At a speech at the City Club of Chicago just prior to the summit, Lightfoot affirmed her opposition to this effort claiming it was not the right tool.
The Obama Community Benefits Agreements Coalition has been working for years with community members in the neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. After the coalition introduced a community vetted proposal, the mayor responded by introducing her own watered-down ordinance that ignores the grassroots solutions proposed by those most impacted by the new development.
Members of the community groups present were clear that they stand ready to work with the mayor on solutions to poverty. But they also were clear that real inclusion of the voices of people living in poverty and paying attention to the solutions they propose were both necessary to getting the job done.
By Niya K. Kelly, Director of State Legislative Policy, Equity and Transformation
Illinois residents who are homeless have the right to vote in upcoming local, state, and national elections.
If someone lives on the street, in shelters, or doubled-up in the homes of others, they are considered homeless.
In Illinois, adults can vote on Election Day even if they are not yet registered to vote. Election Day polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Primary Election on Tuesday, March 17 will help decide which candidates appear on the ballot in the General Election on Tuesday, November 3. This includes some countywide offices, state legislators, U.S. congressional representatives, and presidential nominees.
Illinois uses a closed primary system: Voters must declare party affiliation and will receive one political party’s ballot. The voter then chooses from candidates on their political party’s ballot.
Any Illinois resident can register to vote on Election Day only at the precinct polling place assigned to his/her/their residential mailing address — that is, the address provided on one’s state I.D. or driver’s license.
You are required to bring two (2) forms of identification (ID), including one that shows proof of residence or a mailing address.
What are acceptable forms of ID?
Acceptable forms of ID include mail postmarked to the applicant; an Illinois driver’s license or state ID card; a municipal ID card (for example, the Chicago CityKey); an employee or student ID; Social Security card; birth certificate; credit card; valid U.S. passport; lease or rental contract.
As one form of ID, a homeless person can provide a letter from a drop-in center, shelter, or the person in whose home they are living doubled-up. The letter must confirm that the named person has permission to use their address for the purpose of registering to vote.
People experiencing homelessness can exercise their right to vote, as protected by state and federal laws, including the 2013 Illinois Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act.
If you are in pretrial detention and have not been convicted, you remain eligible to vote. But you cannot vote if you are currently incarcerated for a conviction. Learn more about voting in pre-detention.
Election Day Registration & Voting (Call local election office): Tuesday, March 17, 2020
When is ID needed and not needed to vote?
Identification is not necessary if the homeless voter has already registered to vote at the polling place; the signature s/he/they provides matches the one on file; and an election judge does not challenge the person’s right to vote.
But identification is necessary if the homeless voter faces these situations:
– S/he/they registered by mail and did not include the Illinois ID/driver’s license number or Social Security number.
– An election judge challenges the person’s right to vote. Please note: A common reason for challenging a person’s right to vote occurs after the Board of Elections has sent mail to verify a voter’s mailing address, but the mail was returned.
– If a voter needs to show ID but cannot present ID, s/he/they may cast a provisional ballot. In order for that provisional ballot to be counted, the voter must present ID within seven (7) days of the election to the Board of Election.
Voting after a recent move, whether homeless or housed
If you moved within the same precinct within 27 days of the election, you can vote a full ballot by signing an affidavit.
If you moved outside of your precinct more than 30 days before the election and did not register in your new precinct, you may grace-period update your registration through Election Day, and then grace-period vote.
If you moved outside of your precinct less than 30 days before the election, but still live in Illinois and did not transfer your registration, you may grace-period update your registration to your new address through Election Day and grace-period vote. Or, you can vote a full ballot in your old polling place after completing an affidavit.
For Election Day assistance, call these legal help desks:
– Chicago Board of Elections, (312) 269-7870
– Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, (312) 603-0236
– Illinois State Board of Elections has phone numbers in Chicago at (312) 814-6440, and in Springfield at (217) 782-4141. Operators will be standing by until 11 p.m in Chicago and until 12 midnight in Springfield.
A woman experiencing homelessness has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Chicago, the second lawsuit related to disability access filed in a year.
Plaintiff Gloria Carter is represented by the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), Access Living, and the law firm of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP.
Filed last week, the lawsuit alleges that the city of Chicago operates its emergency homeless shelter program in a manner that discriminates against people with disabilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other law. The lawsuit seeks, in part, to make the city of Chicago’s Emergency Homeless Shelter Program accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Due to her disability, Gloria Carter — a homeless woman — has difficulty moving around. She relies on a walker and is unable to navigate stairs without assistance. In August 2019, with no place to stay, Ms. Carter attempted to access the city’s emergency shelter program.
After a call was made on her behalf, the city sent a van to pick her up and take her to a shelter. But the van was inaccessible. Ms. Carter was unable to step up into the van on her own and the driver refused to assist her. So the van left without her and Ms. Carter was forced to spend that rainy night sleeping in a bus shelter.
Unfortunately, the inaccessible van was not the only way in which Ms. Carter was denied access to the city’s program because of a disability. Even if Ms. Carter was able to get into the van, the driver planned to take her to Pacific Garden Mission. Like the van, that shelter was also inaccessible. It required Ms. Carter to climb many stairs, which she could not navigate on her own.
“I am seeking change. I would like to see a change in the way people with disabilities are treated by the city of Chicago,” Ms. Carter said.
This is not the first time the city of Chicago has faced a federal lawsuit over the inaccessibility of its emergency shelter program.
In March 2019, Laura Martin sued the city after being denied access to its emergency shelter program because of her disability. Like Ms. Carter, Ms. Martin was unable to climb stairs on her own because of her disability.
In November 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois entered a judgment in favor of Ms. Martin and against the city. Ms. Martin is also represented by CCH, Access Living, and Porter Wright.
“Not only is it morally wrong for a person to be denied access to Chicago’s emergency homeless shelter program because of their disability, it is unlawful,” said CCH Staff Attorney Arturo Hernandez.
“The city has an obligation make its programs accessible and this lawsuit will hopefully lead to long-overdue changes in the city’s emergency homeless shelter program,” said Bob Hermes, an attorney and partner at Porter Wright.
Ms. Carter’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It is captioned Carter v. City of Chicago, No. 20-cv-01083.
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) is pleased to see funding to address homelessness in our state maintained or increased in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget. We are particularly happy to see a 10% increase in funding to the Homelessness Prevention Fund, raising the appropriated amount to $10 million.
In addition, the governor’s proposed budget underlines what we already know – the state of Illinois needs more revenue to address its core responsibilities. Luckily, Illinoisans can raise that revenue when they go to the voting booth this November. By supporting the Fair Tax amendment, Illinois will create a progressive tax structure and generate the revenue we need to tackle priority issues such as homelessness.
“We applaud Gov. Pritzker’s leadership in advancing the Fair Tax. His 2021 budget demonstrates why it is so important we create a progressive tax system so we can adequately fund critical programs, such as homelessness prevention and youth homelessness,” said CCH Executive Director Doug Schenkelberg. “Chicago Coalition for the Homeless will partner with the governor and others to educate Illinois voters on the importance of this change and ensure the ballot measure passes in November.”
“We also appreciate Gov. Pritzker lifting up the power of education and increasing funding for MAP grants,” said Niya K. Kelly, CCH Director of State Legislative Policy, Equity and Transformation. “Ensuring the success of these students, we are advocating for Senate Bill 2548, so that students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care have the supports they need to succeed once they are in college.”
Chicago Tribune: Democratic lawmakers renew push for significant homeless funding in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s real estate transfer tax plan
By Jamie Munks and Antonia Ayers-Brown
A group of Democratic lawmakers is renewing a push for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to agree to dedicate a significant portion of revenue from her real estate transfer tax plan to initiatives to combat homelessness in Chicago.
Lightfoot’s graduated real estate transfer tax plan would have wealthier homeowners paying more on property sales. The first-year mayor campaigned on the issue and it was among her top requests of the legislature last year.
The chances of that plan advancing appeared tenuous going into the fall session, however, and it flamed out when a group of progressive Chicago-area lawmakers said they wouldn’t support it without a significant percentage of the new revenue going toward homelessness initiatives. Lightfoot said at the time the request for 60% of the plan’s revenue to go toward homelessness is “never going to happen, obviously,” because of the city’s budget constraints.
The latest proposal was put forth Tuesday by 33 Democratic lawmakers who called it a “compromise,” noting it would allocate revenue from the transfer tax to both patch the city’s budget hole and provide homeless services. Talks with Lightfoot’s administration have been ongoing since the fall session adjourned, according to lawmakers, who expressed optimism that some form of the tax plan would advance in the General Assembly this spring.
“This puts what we’ve been discussing in meetings into writing. It allows the opportunity to use it as a starting point,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam, a Chicago Democrat.
Lightfoot campaigned on increasing affordable housing options in Chicago by adjusting the city’s real estate transfer tax so wealthier homeowners pay more.
The rate structure laid out in legislation filed Tuesday adjusts the rates in Lightfoot’s proposal on properties sold within city limits for more than $3 million. Its backers say the proposal would generate an estimated $88 million to help plug the city’s deficit, while funneling an additional $79 million toward homelessness initiatives.
For property sales between $3 million and $10 million, the rate would be 2.8% for the portion of the sales price that exceeds $3 million. For property sales greater than $10 million, the transfer tax rate would be 4%, applying to the portion of the sale over $10 million. Lightfoot’s proposal would have applied a 2.55% rate to that highest bracket.
Lightfoot spokeswoman Lauren Huffman said the administration is in discussions with the Bring Chicago Home coalition “on ways to partner on a legislative proposal that generates progressive revenue and responds to the needs of all our most vulnerable communities, including homeless residents.”
Edrika Fulford, a volunteer advocate at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said 86,000 people are affected by homelessness in Chicago. The estimated $79 million for fighting homelessness could go to affordable housing and services like job training, budgeting guidance and mental health support, Fulford said. Unlike temporary shelters, which Fulford described as a “Band-Aid,” these services help formerly homeless people avoid returning to homelessness once they have attained permanent housing.
“You can get a house, but you need the services in order to maintain it,” said Fulford, who has previously experienced homelessness. She hopes the legislation will create a dedicated revenue stream — one that is not vulnerable to budget cuts and changes in administration — for pursuing long-term solutions in Chicago.
Chicago Sun-Times: Legislators tout real estate transfer tax proposal as ‘win-win’ compromise for Lightfoot and the homeless
Both Ramirez and Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, the sponsor of the Senate bill, said they met with members of Lightfoot’s staff and called their proposal a “framework” from which to begin negotiations.
By Neal Earley
State lawmakers are taking another stab at revamping how Chicago taxes real estate sales, hoping for a compromise that gives City Hall the money it needs while still providing more money to help the homeless.
A pair of legislators on Monday filed two bills — one in the Senate and one in the House — that will allow Chicago to restructure its tax on property transfers.
During the fall veto session, Mayor Lori Lightfoot lobbied the General Assembly to let the city change the structure of the city’s real estate transfer tax to provide some cash relief to the city.
“No mayor wants to talk about dedicating dollars because they want that authority for themselves,” said state Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, D-Chicago, a sponsor of the bill in the House.
Both Ramirez and Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, the sponsor of the Senate bill, said they met with members of Lightfoot’s staff and called their proposal a “framework” from which to begin negotiations.
Villivalam said the proposed legislation gives both sides what they want — Lightfoot gets extra money for the city’s budget, and state lawmakers get dedicated money to combat homelessness in Chicago.
“This is the ultimate win-win situation where we look to fund the city’s budget deficit and we address one of the larger, one of the major challenges our city faces,” Villivalam said.
Lightfoot’s office issued a statement pledging to work with legislators, the Bring Chicago Home advocacy group “and all other stakeholder on options” on the real estate transfer tax “and other progressive revenue solutions that will help address the city’s long-term financial needs.
“We are in discussions with the Bring Home Chicago coalition on ways to partner on a legislative proposal that generates progressive revenue and responds to the needs of all our most vulnerable communities, including homeless residents,” said mayoral spokeswoman Lauren Huffman.
While some state lawmakers previously said they wanted at least 60% of the new funds from the proposed structure of the real estate transfer tax to go to helping the homeless, the new bill would set aside only 25% for it.
Ramirez said the bill’s rate structure, which will increase the maximum tax for property transfers more than Lightfoot proposed, will bring in more revenue than what was proposed during the veto session.
In Chicago, real estate transfers are currently taxed at $5.25-per-$500.
If passed, the bill would also set new rates for the Real Estate Transfer Tax. The bill would cut the tax for property transfers $1 million and under.
Under the proposed rate structure, real estate transfers $500,000 and under will be taxed at $2.75-per-$500 of the transfer price. For properties transferred between $500,000 to $1 million will be taxed at $4.75-per-$500 of the transfer price.
Transfers between $1 million and $3 million will be taxed at $7.50-per-$500 of the transfer price. Real estate transfers between $3 million and $10 million will be taxed $14-per-$500 of the transfer price and for transfers over $10 million will be taxed at $20-per-$500 of the transfer price.
Education Week: Number of homeless students hits all-time high
Influx poses challenges for some schools
By Sarah D. Sparks
A record-high 1.5 million students were homeless during the 2017-18 school year, 11 percent more than the previous year and nearly double the number a decade ago, according to new federal data.
To put that in perspective, imagine a school district bigger than New York City and Miami-Dade put together, made up of children who are trailing other students—even those in poverty—by 10 percentage points or more in math, reading, and science. Eighteen percent of them have learning disabilities. Nearly that many are still learning English. Virtually all of them experience stress and trauma.
Sixteen states have seen student homelessness rise 10 percent or more in the last three years alone, according to the analysis released this month by the federally funded National Center for Homeless Education, part of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Districts from Chicago to Grand Forks, N.D., from Paducah, Ky. to the Austin, Texas, suburbs are struggling to keep up with the swell of their most vulnerable students—mostly with limited money. While federal homeless education funding rose $12 million from 2015 to 2017, there was no increase in the number of districts receiving those subgrants. On average, per-pupil spending for homeless students increased only $3 during that time…
Academic Struggles
The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to track homeless students’ academic achievement and high school graduation rates, and while many states have been slow to report the data, deep academic gulfs have come to light between homeless students and low-income students with stable housing.
As of 2017-18, homeless students lagged behind housed students in poverty at every grade and subject tested under ESSA. Overall, only 29 percent of homeless students performed proficiently in reading and language arts, 8.5 percent fewer than other low-income students. Roughly 1 in 4 homeless students was proficient in math and science overall, compared to a third or more of housed low-income students.
Those intense academic needs are compounded when schools begin to see multiple homeless students in the same schools—many of which also serve other low-income students…
…Capacity to support homeless children has become such a concern in Chicago that the teachers’ union negotiated it into its most recent contract. Each school that enrolls 75 or more homeless students will now get one new full-time homeless coordinator, and the handful of schools that enroll 140 or more homeless students will get two full-time staff members.
While federal law requires schools to identify and serve homeless students, in most schools, one teacher or staff member—a social worker, Title I director, or foster care advocate, for example—adds those duties to an already-full plate, according to Patricia Nix-Hodes, the director of the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition of the Homeless, which helped inform the new staff requirements.
“Clearly, as the numbers increase, someone who has this role on top of many other roles would not have the time or capacity to serve those families or even to identify all the students who might be in homeless situations,” Nix-Hodes said….
33 Democrats call on Mayor Lightfoot to work with advocates on compromise bill
SPRINGFIELD — Representing a significant voting bloc, 33 Democratic state lawmakers – 20 in the Illinois House of Representatives and 13 in the State Senate – introduced a bill today in a renewed effort to strike a compromise with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and advocates working to address the budget deficit while also creating major dedicated funding to address homelessness in Chicago.
The legislation (Senate Bill 3243 and House Bill 4826) preserves all of the money that Lightfoot is seeking to trim the city’s budget deficit while generating a projected $79 million to curb homelessness, which now afflicts more than 86,000 Chicagoans. The legislation would modify Lightfoot’s quest to increase the Chicago’s Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), adjusting proposed rates assessed on the properties sold for more than $3 million, while extending a tax cut to 96% of average annual property sales in the city.
The bill largely parallels a concept championed by a group of Illinois senators during last fall’s veto session, when Lightfoot’s bid for General Assembly approval of the tax increase faltered due, in part, to the qualms of legislators who want the measure to fund affordable and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness in concert with reducing the budget gap.
Lightfoot, herself, embraced a proposed RETT increase to unleash new funding to combat homelessness while campaigning for mayor. This is one reason state legislators believe a compromise could be possible with her administration.
“We can’t emphasize enough that this legislation will produce a win-win outcome that would significantly reduce homelessness in our city and help address the city’s budget deficit,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-8th). “Along with several of my colleagues and the Bring Chicago Home coalition, I look forward to collaborating with both the mayor and the governor to get this done.”
The legislation is estimated to yield $88 million that would be pledged to deficit reduction and $79 million dedicated to shrinking homelessness. To amass those revenues, the bill would honor the core integrity of Lightfoot’s proposal to charge a transfer tax on a graduated scale, adjusting the rates applying to only two tiers of high-end property sales.
For sales over $3 million, the bill would increase the rate from 2% to 2.8%, applying only to the portion of the transaction between $3 million and $10 million. For sales over $10 million, it would increase the rate from 2.55% to 4%, applying only to the portion of the transaction exceeding $10 million.
For all other sales tiers, the rates would remain identical to Lightfoot’s proposal, ensuring a tax cut for properties purchased for less than $1 million – equivalent to 96% of the city’s average annual real estate transactions.
Conversations between legislators, advocates, and the mayor’s office are ongoing, but no agreement has been reached. State legislators hope the introduction of the bill will be an impetus to bring the two sides closer together.
“If passed, this bill will create resources for affordable housing that will help shrink the shortage of 120,000 affordable units in the city of Chicago and have a significant impact on reducing homelessness,” said State Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-4th), the lead sponsor of the bill in the House. “At the same time it will give a tax cut to 96% of property transactions in the city and preserve the mayor’s progressive tax structure. Now is the time to come together to get this done.”
While aid to the homeless has increased marginally during the Lightfoot administration, it still ranks near the bottom among the 10 U.S. cities with the largest homeless populations, accounting for only .08% percent of what New York City allocates to the problem and 6% percent of what Los Angeles spends.
Meanwhile, homelessness in Chicago continues unchecked, affecting nearly 14,000 people who are currently working, more than 18,000 who have some college education, and more than 20,000 children, many of them struggling to stay in school, according to a 2019 analysis compiled by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL 33 LAWMAKERS SPONSORING THE LEGISLATION, CLICK HERE
**Due to the CDC recommendation to cancel all gatherings of 50 or more people through mid-May, we have decided to postpone this event until September 25.**
Knowing we stand stronger together, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless will mark 40 years of organizing and advocating at an evening celebration on Friday, September 25.
“No Place Like Home: Celebrating 40 Years of Advocacy” will be hosted at Zhou B. Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St., in Chicago.
Early Bird tickets are $125. They can be purchased through this link.
CCH is proud of the roster of sponsors lined up in support of our work. Many thanks to lead sponsor Baker McKenzie, and to our Associate-level sponsors – Chase Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Harris & Harris, actor John Cusack and the JPC Foundation, Kirkland & Ellis, attorney Marta Delgado and Sam Nandi, Muriel Quinn and Robert Pasin, and Revolution Brewing.
On September 25 we will celebrate what’s been accomplished by CCH since 1980, such as proposing and securing yearly funding for homeless prevention grants. Those grants that have helped almost 120,000 Illinois households over 20 years.
“We’re also excited about the work underway,” said Executive Director Doug Schenkelberg. “Be it our advocacy in the city and state, our legal assistance to people throughout the Chicago region, or our community organizing and leadership development with our amazing grassroots leaders and service provider partners.”
CCH chose a Wizard of Oz theme for its September 25 event, being held from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
“The traditional gift for a 40th anniversary is rubies – think of the ruby red slippers,” explained Director of Development Michael Nameche. “The yellow brick road symbolizes our grassroots leaders and staff marching into action in CCH’s signature bright yellow shirts. Plus, we have the courage, the heart, and the brains necessary to deliver permanent solutions to homelessness.”
And just like Dorothy, we know CCH wouldn’t have made a successful journey without help!
Thanks also to CCH’s other sponsors:
Advocate Sponsors – Archer Daniels Midland, The Chicago Community Trust, Dexter Magnetic Technologies, Nicor Gas, Chris and Maggie Stewart, and Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Stakeholder Sponsors – Applegate &Thorne-Thomsen, P.C., Blistex, Inc., CIBC Bank, Heartland Alliance, Hoffman-Barnes Risk Management Consulting, Tom and Anne Lysaught, and Thresholds
Supporter Sponsors – AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Domu, Flexera, Dem Hopkins, Laura Luckman Kelber, Susan Lloyd, Mercy Housing, Merrill Lynch, The Night Ministry, Peak Realty Chicago, LLC, and Rush University Medical Center
Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: As the number of homeless kids in Chicago grows, CPS does more to help
One of the best provisions in the new Chicago Teachers Union contract is a requirement that the public schools hire additional staff in the 15 schools which have the largest numbers of homeless students.
…CPS school-community reps will, among other tasks, make sure families and students know their legal rights, such as the right to enroll in any public school without having to provide proof of residence and to remain in their home school even if they have to move.
“The purpose [of the law] is to prevent days or weeks while a child isn’t enrolled in school anywhere,” Patricia Nix-Hodes of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless told us.
During the teachers’ strike, the CTU seized on the problem of student homelessness in an effort to force the city to commit to create more affordable housing. Chicago has a well-documented shortage of affordable housing…
Chicago Sun-Times: ‘Transformational’ new CPS positions will help students who are homeless
The school district last year had more than 16,000 kids without a home
By Nader Issa
Months of debate over one of the Chicago Teachers Union’s key contract demands, affordable housing, led to a breakthrough in teacher negotiations last fall: Chicago Public Schools has agreed to hire new staff members to help kids deal with homelessness and other temporary living situations.
Though news of the positions was widely shared when the deal was reached as part of the agreement to end the teachers strike, all involved have spent the time since then discussing the finer details and mechanics of what many view as a significant benefit to a district that last year had more than 16,000 kids without a permanent home.
Half of the students are concentrated in 10 South and West side wards. Though 36 percent of the district’s students are African American, 81 percent of homeless students are black, according to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
The CTU is hosting an informational session at 5 p.m. Tuesday at its headquarters, 1901 W. Carroll, to help families and teachers understand homeless students’ rights.
“This will be the first opportunity that we know of where our members are all getting together to discuss these issues,” said Sarah Rothschild, a CTU education policy analyst. “Really elevating this issue [is important].”
…The new positions, called school community representatives, will go into schools that have at least 75 students living in those situations. Schools that have 140 or more such students will get two new staff members.
The school community reps will help families apply for fee waivers and understand their rights, as well as provide resources such as CTA passes, school uniforms and school supplies. And in many cases, they’ll work to identify students as homeless who have gone under the radar and aren’t getting the necessary support.
In all, 15 schools will get the positions, with three schools getting two school community reps and 12 getting one. CPS human resources head Matt Lyons said the list of schools couldn’t yet be shared because the district is still working to inform principals and isn’t posting the jobs for another week or two.
Meanwhile, workers at other schools who help homeless kids in addition to their other duties will for the first time receive stipends of $1,000 – $3,000.
“Even though it’s not a huge stipend, it’s a big, big step politically at the school level in highlighting the importance of the work that they do,” Rothschild said.
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless has already been working with the district on annual training for school staff on how to best aid students who are homeless, and the nonprofit is helping develop these new positions.
“Having one dedicated person fulfilling those responsibilities is going to be really transformational for those students,” said Patricia Nix-Hodes, director of the coalition’s free legal services program. “I think it will really change the direction of students’ lives.”
Block Club Chicago: Apartments or condos coming to former bank site near Western Blue Line station
The former bank property has sat vacant for years, and a group of people experiencing homelessness started living there last year
By Mina Bloom
LOGAN SQUARE — A four-story residential and retail building could soon rise on an abandoned bank property at Western and Armitage avenues — a site where people experiencing homelessness were living until the city kicked them out.
A developer operating under the limited liability corporation Advent Properties LLC- 2000 is looking to build a four-story building with 21 residential units and ground-floor retail on the site at 2000 N. Western Ave. / 2406 W. Armitage Ave., according to Ald. Daniel La Spata’s 1st Ward office and zoning attorney Mark Kupiec.
The developer doesn’t need a zoning change to build the project. Instead, it’s headed directly to the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals for approval. The developer is, however, seeking two zoning variances because the lot is smaller than standard city lots, according to Kupiec…
…The former MB Financial Bank property has sat vacant for years. Sometime over the last year, a group of people experiencing homelessness had started living there.
In September, the group lost everything in a city cleanup, which sparked outrage among homeless advocates and raised questions about such city sweeps.
La Spata previously called the move “deeply frustrating.”
Said Diane O’ Connell, a community lawyer for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless: “There was ample opportunity for the city to do better in this situation. Certainly if they needed people to move things they could’ve communicated beforehand, they could’ve provided a place to move things to.”
Neighbors are encouraged to send feedback on the development proposal to La Spata’s office via zoning@the1stward.com.
Daily Herald: DuPage, state police won’t enforce panhandling prohibition while lawsuit is pending
By Robert Sanchez
A state law prohibiting roadside panhandling won’t be enforced by Illinois State Police and the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office until a federal lawsuit challenging the law is resolved.
Michael Dumiak and Christopher Simmons filed the lawsuit in August 2019 against state police Director Brendan Kelly, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and the village of Downers Grove. The plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit that they have the free-speech right to ask for help.
State police and the state’s attorney office on Tuesday agreed to a preliminary injunction prohibiting them from enforcing a section of a state law that bars asking drivers for money for the duration of the litigation.
“For now, our clients and many others will be able to exercise their First Amendment right to ask for help without interference from the state police,” said Rebecca Glenberg of the ACLU, one of the lawyers in the case. “In the long term, we hope that the court agrees with us that this statute is unconstitutional and may not be enforced at all.”
Officials with the DuPage state’s attorney’s office declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Dumiak and Simmons are being represented by the ACLU of Illinois, the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and the law firm of Schiff Hardin…
Chicago Tribune: 50,000 Cook County residents will lose food stamps if they don’t find work soon, and the clock is ticking
By Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Richard Butler’s life hasn’t unfolded as he once imagined it would. As a child he dreamed of being a cartoonist, or maybe a singer or entrepreneur. Instead, he spent time in prison for burglarizing a car, experienced bouts of homelessness, and has struggled with mental health issues he says make it difficult to hold down a job.
Richard Butler stays at a friend’s apartment on South Halsted Street in Chicago. Butler could be impacted by new work requirements imposed on food stamp recipients. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — formerly known as food stamps — provides Butler with $194 per month to put toward groceries. It helps him get by.
So Butler, 25, was shocked when he learned work requirements now in effect in Cook County could threaten those benefits.
“I’m in a situation where I don’t have anything,” said Butler, who is jobless and sleeps on an air mattress at a friend’s home in Englewood. “The least the government can do is help me eat.”
The clock started ticking Jan. 1 for about 50,000 food stamp recipients in Cook County who are now limited to three months of benefits over three years, unless they work, volunteer or participate in job training for at least 20 hours a week. Part of federal law since the 1990s, the work rules have been waived in Cook County for more than a decade but as of this year must be imposed because of the county’s low unemployment rate.
The work requirements apply only to adults aged 18 to 49 who are considered able-bodied and don’t have dependents; the majority of the county’s 826,000 food stamp recipients won’t be affected.
But there are grave concerns that the state’s workforce development system isn’t equipped to help such a large number of people find jobs, and that many individuals might not learn the rules exist until their benefits are cut off.
The state’s Department of Human Services mailed notices in December alerting people to the change, but many are homeless or change addresses frequently, and won’t know that they need to meet the requirements or seek exemptions for qualifying disabilities, said Mary Frances Charlton, youth health attorney at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless…
…Charlton, the attorney for homeless youth, said she believes Butler qualifies for a mental health exemption from the work requirements, and is helping him file that paperwork. But social service providers worry many SNAP recipients with qualifying disabilities will be cut off from benefits before they realize they need to seek a waiver.
Billboard: Leader of the Pak: Paradigm agent Ron Kaplan delivers custom backpacks to the neediest among us
By Christopher Weingarten
….The video was filmed by Citypak founder Ron Kaplan — an agent at Paradigm Talent Agency whose clients include Van Morrison, Roger Daltrey, the Steve Miller Band, Lyle Lovett and Joss Stone — while he was on vacation in Maui in December and spotted Strauss.
Kaplan has grown accustomed to seeing Citypaks in action far from his current home base in Los Angeles. Strauss’ backpack was one of over 64,000 Citypak has distributed in 142 cities and three continents since the charity’s launch in 2012…
…Kaplan’s search for a more personal connection led to a relationship with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). That’s when the idea for Citypak took hold: “A very typical scenario was that everyday [homeless] people would come in for services, get food, recycled clothing, toiletries, but they never had anything to carry their stuff in,” says Kaplan. “I thought, ‘Has anyone ever devised a way to create a backpack specifically designed for the needs of the homeless?'”
Kaplan shared the idea with the owner of adventure luggage company High Sierra, who promptly put his design team on the project. After getting the first samples of the bags — inspired by the rugged knapsacks and ponchos that soldiers used in World War II — Kaplan asked CCH to help him gather a focus group of homeless Chicagoans for lunch and a chat.
As Kaplan recalls, “Everyone flipped out. They’re saying, ‘This is a lifesaver, this is exactly what we need!’ ” Members of the focus group also gave Kaplan some crucial suggestions, like adding a waterproof pouch to the bags to protect identification and hospital records. There are also no zippers on the bag’s exterior, says Kaplan, where they might “get rusted or broken.”…
Streetsblog Chicago: Homeless tents have returned next to Uptown bike lanes likely built to displace them
By John Greenfield
In late 2017, after years of complaints from Uptown residents to 46th Ward alderman James Cappleman about tent cities in the Lawrence and Wilson avenue viaducts under Lake Shore Drive, the Chicago Department of Transportation installed bike lanes on the sidewalks. While so I’ve found no smoking gun proving that the city’s motivation for building the cycling infrastructure was to prevent homeless people from returning to the underpasses afterwards, it’s highly probable that was at least a factor in the decision.
Ironically, that defensive architecture strategy isn’t even working. As of this afternoon there were two tents on the south sidewalk of Lawrence, and three or four tents plus a couch and a shopping cart on the north sidewalk of Wilson. While the green bike lanes are largely clear, the encampments basically render the pedestrian portion of the sidewalk unusable. That isn’t a big deal this time of year since bike and pedestrian traffic is light, but could lead to conflicts during the warmer months…
…Former residents of the tent city, represented by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project, previously sued the city over the issue, arguing that the installation of the bike lanes was discriminatory against the homeless because it was done with the sole purpose of displacing them. The lawsuit also asserted that the design of the bikeways is dangerous…
Still, Dworkin said, the practice of building sidewalk bike lanes in viaducts makes it more difficult to defend the rights of homeless people to camp there, since the tents are, in fact, blocking the public way. “We feel like there’s just not that much we can do, except asking the city not to handle homelessness this way. It’s clearly not a productive way to to handle it — you’re just chasing people off to the next spot.”
Dworkin, who commutes by bike herself, said there were also homeless people sleeping in the Metra viaduct on Randolph Street between Canal and Clinton streets in the West Loop before CDOT installed a sidewalk bike lane there in 2016. “It’s a terrible design,” she said. At rush hour you’ve got to bike through crowds of people on Randolph crossing Canal.”
On top of that, it would have been relatively easy to create protected bike lanes on the street, rather than the sidewalk, in all of these viaducts. Lawrence, Wilson, and Randolph all have multiple travel lanes, which likely provides more capacity than is needed for the amount of motor vehicle traffic they carry, which encourages speeding. So converting mixed-traffic lanes to bike lanes instead of placing the bikeways on the sidewalks would have made everyone safer, bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike.
TFIL Films 3rd mini-documentary. We join the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless to better under the highly complicated issue that is homelessness.
These stories are unfiltered, covering a wide variety of reasons that have led to homelessness, some of which are incredibly heart breaking. TFIL Films isn’t about what’s “right or wrong” nor is it meant to skew anyone’s opinions; our goal is simply to create an unbiased and informative video that allows viewers to have a different insight to various problems or issues around the world. | Wiser. Stronger. Happier. Together.
Special thanks to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for their help making this possible. Please visit their website for more info on volunteering, financial support or simply, to learn more. Subscribe to TFIL by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2XAGKix
Complaint contends property managers and debt collectors unlawfully seek attorney’s fees when evicting tenants, in violation of Chicago’s landlord-tenant ordinance.
Chicago – A formerly homeless tenant filed a federal class action lawsuit Friday against Draper & Kramer, Inc., a property management company, and IQ Data, Inc., a debt collector.
Plaintiff Yasmine Lamar is represented by attorneys from the Law Project at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) and the National Consumer Law Center. They argue on behalf of a class that Draper & Kramer sought unlawful attorney’s fees in connection with her eviction and that IQ Data sought to collect those fees in violation of state and federal consumer protection laws.
Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance prohibits landlords from charging attorney’s fees in connection with an eviction, yet Ms. Lamar alleges she was charged nearly $500 in fees. Ms. Lamar also alleges that the unlawful debt was reported to credit bureaus, damaging her credit.
The lawsuit alleges that this practice is widespread and could impact hundreds of tenants.
“Unlawful fees, like the ones charged by the defendants, make it that much harder for Chicago tenants to access and maintain stable housing,” said Mary Frances Charlton, a CCH attorney representing Ms. Lamar.
“Some former tenants may have paid attorney fees they don’t owe as a result of this unlawful practice,” said Charles Delbaum, a senior staff attorney also representing Ms. Lamar for the National Consumer Law Center.
Ms. Lamar described how the alleged collection practices impacted her life, saying that debt collectors “have called me from numerous numbers after being blocked, telling me that I always have excuses for not paying my debt, even though I don’t owe them attorney’s fees. This has made a very stressful time in my life much worse.”
Ms. Lamar and the class are seeking actual and punitive damages for what is alleged to be widespread violations of consumer protection laws.
**Due to the CDC recommendation to cancel all gatherings of 50 or more people through mid-May, we have decided to postpone this event until September 25.**