Blog

Associate Director Hannah Willage returned Monday from central Europe, where she spent 16 days teaching community organizing through the Great Lakes Consortium (GLC) for International Training and Development. Through the program, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) has hosted hosted eight organizers since 2012, and four CCH organizers have traveled to Europe to train community groups there. 

Hannah offers these observations upon her return.

As I return from Hungary and Romania, I realize what a privilege it was to both host and be hosted by Johanna Laszlo and Ionela Ciolan to work them on building skills for community organizing.

I enjoyed my time mentoring them in Chicago, teaching them about how we do things at Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and answering their many questions about community organizing. During our time, they also begin to share stories with me about their work and their countries.  Continue reading Hannah Willage: Training community organizers from Romania and Hungary

Join us at Tuesday night’s public meeting with elected officials to talk about bringing jobs to Chicago’s West Side through a Community Benefits Agreement.

CCH co-leads organizing for the Westside Community Benefits Coalition, which is hosting the 6:30 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at First Baptist Congregational Church, 1613 W. Washington Blvd. Other partners in the coalition include the Community Renewal Society, Action Now and the Westside Health Authority.  Continue reading Public meeting Tuesday to discuss job creation through a West Side Community Benefits Agreement

Who: 200+ suburban clergy and homeless advocates

What: State budget protest and prayer vigil in Aurora

When: Wednesday, June 24, at 7 p.m.

Where: The parking lot by Hesed House, 659 S. River Street in Aurora

More than 200 clergy, homeless and community advocates from churches, small businesses, and organizations in St. Charles, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Romeoville will hold a prayer vigil to protest the lack of a state budget, and the impact it will have on homeless and social services in Kane County.

On July 1, if a state budget and revenue are not agreed upon by Gov. Rauner and the General Assembly, all agencies receiving state funds will see payments greatly delayed or suspended as a result of a state government shutdown.  Continue reading Wednesday, June 24: Evening prayer vigil in Aurora on state budget crisis

Working with the Responsible Budget Coalition, human service providers will gather at the Thompson Center at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday to warn  Gov. Rauner and lawmakers that their failure to enact a responsible budget by next week will result in immediate cuts to childcare, services for sexual assault and domestic violence survivors, mental health, homeless prevention, jobs training, economic development, and many other vital services.

State Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger announced earlier this month that the Illinois Constitution prevents her from writing checks for most state services after June 30 if a state budget has not been adopted.

Human services providers will let the governor and lawmakers know that stopping payments will leave them no choice but to close programs, layoff workers, and otherwise reduce critical services on which families depend.  Continue reading Wednesday, June 24: Human service providers to warn Gov. Rauner, lawmakers of July service cuts and layoffs

Who: Rockford clergy, community and homeless advocates

What: State budget protest and prayer vigil in front of Winnebago County Jail

When: Tuesday, June 23, at 7 p.m.

Where: Winnebago County Jail at the corner of S. State and W. Winnebago streets

On Tuesday, clergy, homeless and community advocates from churches and organizations in Rockford and Boone County will hold a prayer vigil to protest the lack of a state budget, and the impact it will have on homeless and social service programs in Winnebago and Boone Counties. They were organized with help from the CCH Statewide Network, led by organizer Jim Picchetti.

On July 1, if a budget resolution is not agreed on by the Governor and the General Assembly, all agencies receiving state funds will have either their payments greatly delayed or suspended as a result of a state government shutdown.  Continue reading Tuesday, June 23, 7 p.m.: Rockford prayer vigil

By Graham Bowman, Equal Justice Works youth health attorney

I recently assisted a homeless youth who was illegally denied a prescribed asthma inhaler because she was unable to pay a co-payment fee.

Have you ever faced a situation like Dana’s?

Dana, 23, lives in a large homeless shelter in Chicago. She must leave the facility by 7:30 every morning, carrying all her things in backpacks and duffle bags. Dana often heads over to a homeless youth drop-in center, where she can spend part of the day and get any needed assistance. But Dana suffers from asthma, making the long walks tiresome and sometimes threatening to her health.

Dana has Medicaid to cover her health care, including an inhaler and other prescriptions. When she tried to fill her prescriptions on a recent morning, she was refused because she was unable to pay $7.90 in copayment fees. Going without her medicine worsened her asthma, causing her great difficulty in breathing while walking to the drop-in center.

Dana asked me for assistance, and I contacted the pharmacy to explain that by law, she should not have been turned away.  Continue reading Medicaid recipients can get prescription filled even if unable to pay co-payment fee

By Victoria Dempsey, Loyola University summer law intern,

and Senior Counsel Laurene Heybach

Tensions have surfaced again in the Uptown neighborhood over the growing number of homeless people living under the Wilson and Lawrence Avenue viaducts.

In response to neighborhood concerns at the “State of Uptown” luncheon May 27, Chicago Ald. James Cappleman criticized the city’s lack of coordination of homeless services in the 46th Ward and the lack of affordable housing and harm-reduction shelters to address the situation.

Then, referring to the Law Project’s recent legal settlement with the city, he said that it is “commendable” that Chicago Coalition for the Homeless fought for the right of homeless persons to sleep outside, but he would “fight for the right to sleep inside.” Thus, the alderman implied that CCH has not fought for housing to help eradicate homelessness on our streets.  Continue reading Responding to Ald. James Cappleman’s claims about CCH and serving homeless people