As a member of the Plan 2.0 Steering Committee, CCH was pleased with the high level of participation in the process and the open dialogue that took place.  The report captures a lot of good ideas that came out in the discussions.  Some high points for CCH include:

• The inclusion of many of the recommendations from the Chicago Task Force on Homeless Youth, such as tripling the number of shelter beds for youth by 2016.
• Several mentions of the barriers for people re-entering society after prison, including a recommendation to work with the Chicago Housing Authority on accepting more people with criminal backgrounds.
• The recognition that more discussion should take place, through a short-term task force to meet in coming weeks, before finalizing recommendations on interim housing (120 days or less).

There are other areas in which we have concerns or which need more work.

For one, while we are glad the plan recognizes the need for resources for implementation, this thought does not appear until the last bullet on the last page of the report!  This idea should be front and center in the recommendations, as it will be front and center to the plan’s success.

Other concerns:

• There should we more emphasis on job creation or directly connecting workforce programs with homeless service providers. An example of this is CleanSlate, a social enterprise that works directly with homeless clients and receives city contracts for street cleaning.
• There needs to be more thinking around permanent housing models that will lead to stability for different types of households.  What kind of supports can we provide people moving into market rate housing?  How do we create more permanent affordable housing that is not supportive housing for households earning 30% or below of Area Median Income?
• We have a concern that this plan, much like the last one, will be driven by federal priorities.  While it is important to comply with federal regulations and maximize federal funding for Chicago, we can’t ignore what we are seeing on the ground if it doesn’t match up with those federal priorities.

You can access the final report here.

- Julie Dworkin, Director of Policy

When the students were asked what they would say about these issues to someone in power, one student said, “I would want them to understand that people don’t have anything already and I believe that they can make a change only if we help them.”

Empowered with new information about issues surrounding homelessness as well as the Illinois government, the students prepared to meet with their state senator.

To arrange a meeting with State Sen. Mattie Hunter, the students practiced making phone calls to the senator’s office. They were a little nervous at first, but eventually were incredibly confident – and the senator agreed to meet with the students!

On Monday, Jan. 30, at 9:30 a.m., a group of 10 sophomores excitedly boarded the bus to Sen. Hunter’s office. Sen. Hunter was warm and friendly while she met with the group in a large conference room and talked to them about her involvement in the community. She also listened to their concerns about homeless youths, including unaccompanied teens in high school, and agreed that more funding and programming needs to be available.

Each student had a role in the meeting that morning, and each participated in the political process. It was inspiring to hear students speaking to a state senator with a 10-year tenure in Illinois politics. It was definitely an amazing opportunity for the Tilden students – and for Senator Hunter!

- Elizabeth Brice, Trinity Christian College senior & Speakers Bureau intern

H.R. 32 was introduced by U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Hinsdale) and has bipartisan support.  The simple, one-page bill would amend the definition of “homeless” used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development so that HUD includes in its counts the children, teens and their families who are verified as homeless by personnel from four federal programs, including school district homeless liaisons. It would allow homeless children and youth, especially those who are doubled-up and living in motels, to access HUD homeless services and housing.

Under current law, many children in involuntary and unstable living arrangements cannot access certain services because the definition of “homeless” used by HUD conflicts with the definition used by other federal agencies.  As a result, a youth who is “couch surfing” or a child whose family is staying in a motel may qualify for homeless services from the U.S. Department of Education, but not from HUD.

In December, Brandon Dunlap, a 2005 CCH college scholarship winner, provided compelling testimony in support of H.R. 32 at a subcommittee hearing. Thanks to Brandon and five other young witnesses who shared their stories, the subcommittee gained a true understanding of the difficulties of living doubled-up and in motels.

H.R. 32 is expected to be considered by the full Financial Services Committee later in February.  Please urge your U.S. Representative to sign on to H.R. 32 as a co-sponsor and urge members of the House Financial Services Committee to vote yes on H.R. 32.   A list of full committee members may be found at http://financialservices.house.gov/About/Members.htm.

- Patricia Nix-Hodes, Associate Law Project Director

By Matthew Blake

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn recently introduced a new pilot program to rehabilitate vacant, foreclosed upon properties in Cook County and give assistance to homeowners.

The multi-pronged Illinois Building Blocks program comes in addition to a menu of local, state and federal strategies to address vacant properties, foreclosures, and sometimes both of these huge problems at once.

Chicago, for example, has a similar program to rehab vacant, foreclosed-upon properties.

According to housing advocates, though, these government efforts lack resources – to both financially assist homeowners and communities and twist the arms of mortgage servicers to participate.

“With any of these programs,” says Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois, “the resources are limited compared to the scope of the problem.”

Building Blocks

Rebecca Boykins, spokeswoman for the Illinois Housing Development Authority, says that the state “met with major lenders regarding the program,” but adds that Building Blocks is “under development.”

One possible way of getting banks to cooperate, according to Boykins, is the state’s donation tax credit. Banks would get a 50-cent income tax credit for each dollar contributed to an affordable housing project.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority will put $50 million into Building Blocks and Cook County will add another $5 million. Building Blocks aims to “return vacant and foreclosed upon properties to their proper use” in six Cook County cities: Berywn, Chicago Heights, Maywood, Park Forest, Riverdale, and South Holland.

Part of that strategy is helping potential homebuyers purchase foreclosed homes. The state will provide up to $10,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance to homebuyers. Illinois will also lower the credit score needed to qualify for a mortgage.

Also, Building Blocks adds to the existing Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network.

There’s more money for the foreclosure prevention network’s housing counselor services and also the Illinois Hardest Hit program – which provides mortgage financial assistance to homeowners hit by unemployment or severe underemployment.

Building Blocks unquestionably responds to a major problem.

The foreclosure crisis in Cook County has hit a new stage, where foreclosures are down but many foreclosed upon properties lie vacant, in a legal limbo. The average foreclosure case in Cook County court now lasts 567 days.

“There are more properties that are vacant and stuck in the foreclosure process,” says Tom Feltner, vice president of the Woodstock Institute, a research and advocacy group.

Feltner applauds Building Blocks for stabilizing communities victimized by the lowered property values, vandalism, and crime associated with vacant properties.

Palmer of Housing Action agrees. “The idea of targeting specific communities is good,” Palmer says.

The Greater Government Response

According to Palmer, what the state can do – with Building Blocks and the Foreclosure Prevention Network – is limited. The biggest funds for foreclosure prevention come from the federal government.

The main federal program, though, the Homeowner Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, remains disappointing. About 736,000 mortgages have been permanently modified from the program that President Barack Obama said would help 3 million to 4 million homeowners when the president rolled it out in February 2009.

And, in the realm of vacant properties, the federal government has actually conflicted with Chicago in one way.

The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance in November to increase accountability on mortgage servicers that tend to hold vacant, foreclosed-upon properties. The ordinance would, for example, make property holders pay $500 to register a property as vacant.

But the Federal Housing Finance Agency sued Chicago over the ordinance. FHFA contends that they have the sole ability to regulate the vacant properties held by government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie and Freddie have about 258,000 properties in the Chicago area.

Cook County approved their own, comparably modest version of a vacant property ordinance in December.

Chicago, meanwhile, plans to fight FHFA in federal district court. And they plan to implement the Vacant TIF Purchase and Rehabilitation Ordinance, which the City Council passed last May.

The city will use Tax Increment Finance, or TIF, money to rehab vacant properties, and turn them into affordable housing under that ordinance.

Julie Dworkin, policy director for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, has worked with the city on implementation – and says that they have identified three initial TIF districts in which to roll out the plan.

Dworkin says that she does not know if banks will cooperate in either the city program or Quinn’s Building Blocks. “It’s going to be a building-to-building effort,” Dworkin says.

“There’s no global way to getting banks on board,” she said, adding that getting the financial institutions to participate is “an enormous barrier.”

By Ed Shurna, Executive Director

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

Welcome to life, James.

I became the proud grandfather of James, 9 lb. 2 oz. last Thursday (Jan. 25). My grandson is the first son born to my son David, and his wife, Gina. I popped a bottle of Champagne to share with co-workers at lunch. (That’s the first time I have ever done that.) As I showed pictures of the little guy from my cell phone, I was as proud as any grandpa could be.

I’ve already started to wonder what life will be like for James. He will turn 21 years of age in 2033. He will retire by 2082 at the age of 70. He will live all or most of his life in the 21st century.

In the next several years, as I put James on my knee and we dream about his future, what myths will I tell him? How will I describe what opportunities lie ahead? Will I tell him to study hard at school, go to college and get a degree or two so he can get ahead? That story worked for me but I know it does not work like it used to.

Will I tell him to blame the illegal immigrants for stealing low-wage jobs from American workers? Will I tell him our country went downhill because the government allowed gays to marry? Will I tell him that poor people are poor because they don’t work hard enough?

None of these tales will help him grow. He needs a dream to live by that is true, and hopeful.

Maybe I will tell James something like this:

We live in the “world as it is” but we “need to work together to make it the “world as it should be.” We are a big melting pot of different races, classes, sexes, ages, cultures and peoples. If we want to get ahead, we need to learn how to work with everyone. If we want to get ahead, we have to make sure everyone else can get ahead. If we want to get ahead, we cannot let some of us have a head start.

The “world as it is” is not always fair. We have to make it fair. That will take work.

To become better off than his granddad, James won’t need to get a big car and bigger home. What he needs is for David and me — for all of us — to make this a better country for everyone.

CCH's Charles Jenkins speaks at the minimum wage rally

Four leaders with the CCH Jobs Project traveled with me to Springfield Tuesday to advocate again for raising the Illinois minimum wage.

Part of the Raise Illinois coalition, we joined Protestants for the Common Good, Action Now, and others in delivering signatures of support from 200 faith leaders. We’re calling on legislators to raise the state’s hourly minimum wage from the $8.25, as set in 2010, to $10.65 by 2014, with annual cost-of-living increases after that.

A CCH leader, Charles Jenkins, talked at the rally about the difficulty of supporting his family on a minimum wage that, at full-time hours, pays just $16,500 after taxes.

“I’ve worked as a housekeeper, an usher, transportation service driver, a car wash attendant, and even a dishwasher, all paying minimum wage. It was so stifling trying to support my family on minimum wage. I even had to take up odd jobs to make my bill payments.

“But the realization that was the hardest for me was that I had to go on food stamps just to feed my family while working at a minimum wage job… To all the legislators, we need a living wage now!” Charles said.

CCH leader Shon Robertson

Also speaking at the rally was the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 1565, State Sen. Kim Lightford, as well as State Sen. Jackie Collins, and State Reps. Chuck Jefferson, Al Riley, Andre Thapedi, and Monique Davis. CCH also was represented by leaders Shon Robertson, Betty Mitchell and Edwin Cobb.

More information is available at http://raiseillinois.com/.

– Jim Picchetti, Jobs Project community organizer

– Photos by Betsy Neely of Protestants for the Common Good

Kevin Doyle, senior vice president of Apartments.com, with CCH Executive Director Ed Shurna

Almost 6,000 people – some mobilized by other homeless groups across the U.S. – signed on to “LIKE” Apartments.com on Facebook. Apartments.com is a national online apartment guide and relocation resource, headquartered in Chicago. The company came to CCH last fall with a pledge to donate $1 for each new “like” it received in November and December.

Staff from Apartments.com visited CCH’s Loop office this Monday to present the donation, given in support of work that includes outreach at homeless shelters across Chicago, legal aid to students and youth, and advocacy to ensure that homeless people have access to shelter, housing, jobs and school.

Were we surprised when Kevin Doyle, Apartments.com senior vice president and general manager, announced that the company wanted “to do a little more” than give the promised $6,000. He then presented a company check for $15,000!

“For the less fortunate, you fight the fight every day. It was the right cause for us,” Mr. Doyle told the CCH staff.

CCH – its homeless leaders and staff – sincerely thank all of you who took the time to participate in this charitable contest. And we thank Apartments.com for so generously supporting the organizing, advocacy and legal aid work that helps homeless families, children and adults living in the Chicago area.

We are humbly honored by your support.

 - Michael Nameche & Anne Bowhay, Development

- Photo by Casey Sachen

The initial recommendations for the “Chicago Plan 2.0” can be reviewed here: http://thechicagoalliance.org/documents/Initial%20Recommendations.pdf

Following a review of the feedback, a longer, detailed final plan will be unveiled by Mayor Rahm Emanuel this spring.

The Plan 2.0 planning process is led by the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, the city of Chicago, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Feedback on the early recommendations are to be emailed to Nicole Amling: namling@thechicagoalliance.org

New recommendations will not be considered in this phase. Instead, comments should discuss which initial recommendations are supported or opposed, and/or what is missing from what was recommended during a two-day charrette last week at which the public, advocates, providers and homeless people made recommendations.

CCH sent 15 homeless youth and adults and five staff members to offer suggestions and commentary during the public charrette Jan. 24-25 at the Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington. Among them was Sonovia Petty, who said that as an ex-offender raising two sons she has found it difficult to find a job.

“We don’t give second chances,” said Sonovia, who now works part-time for CCH.

At a Friday, Jan. 27 session to hear feedback on the recommendations, people were able to speak up about the early recommendations.

Among them, CCH Policy Director Julie Dworkin said that the initial report asks even more of shelter providers without committing financial resources to do them. The early report also omitted suggestions to offer more rental subsidies as a way to provide more affordable housing, said Julie, a member of the Plan 2.0 Steering Committee.

Jim LoBianco, a CCH board member and executive director of StreetWise, also challenged a recommendation to “close (shelter) sites with substandard living conditions and repurpose funding for rapid rehousing or other rental assistance.”

A former city director of homeless services, Jim said that if a shelter were to be closed, it should be immediately replaced with another. He noted that with the city requiring special use permits to open a shelter, no new shelters have opened since Pacific Garden Mission and the former Chicago Christian Industrial League opened their new facilities at least four years ago.

The New York Times wrote on Sunday about the city’s homeless planning process: http://nyti.ms/y1aqO1

- Anne Bowhay, Media

CHICAGO, Jan. 31, 2012/PRNewswire

Apartments.com presented a check for $15,000 to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless yesterday at the culmination of their “Raising Awareness. Taking Action: A Campaign to Help End Homelessness” Facebook initiative. As part of the campaign, Apartments.com promised to donate $1 to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for every new “LIKE” it received on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Apartments.com  from November 1 through December 31, 2011.

“In every aspect, this campaign was a huge success. We received overwhelming positive feedback from our Apartments.com staff and customers, as well as the general public,” said Kevin Doyle, senior vice president and general manager of Apartments.com. ”We know $15,000, by itself, won’t bring an end to homelessness, but we hope it helps the Coalition to be able to continue the monumental good they do each and every day. It was an honor for our organization to be able to do our small part on behalf of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless this past holiday season.”

The Chicago-based advocacy group was selected as the beneficiary of this inaugural campaign as the leading voice for the homeless in the city of Chicago, where Apartments.com is headquartered. It was estimated that last year more than 100,000 people suffered from homelessness in Chicago(1) and an estimated 3.5 million people each year experience homelessness(2). Apartments.com designed the initiative to generate nationwide participation and help bring greater attention to this widespread issue across America.

“Chicago Coalition for the Homeless was founded over 30 years ago on one simple premise: that in a just society, housing is a human right. To that end, we work with families, youths and adults, advocating to better lives through access to shelter, housing, jobs and schools,” said Ed Shurna, executive director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. “The staff of Apartments.com clearly knows the importance of housing and we are grateful to have their generous support.”

The Apartments.com campaign, “Raising Awareness. Taking Action: A Campaign to Help End Homelessness” aims to heighten visibility and bring in funds to benefit organizations that advocate for and serve the homeless. “Like” the Apartments.com Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Apartments.com) for updates on next year’s “Raising Awareness. Taking Action: A Campaign to Help End Homelessness” initiative.

About Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is a non-profit organization that works with people hurt by homelessness. Guided by its belief that housing is a human right in a just society, the coalition seeks to prevent and end homelessness by addressing its root causes. Its community organizers offer monthly outreach at more than 20 emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities across Chicago—reaching out to mothers with children, unaccompanied youths, children and teens struggling to access public schools, ex-offenders and low-wage workers. For more information or to donate to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, visit their website www.chicagohomeless.org.

About Apartments.com
Apartments.com (http://www.apartments.com) is a leading national apartment Internet listing subscription service with more than 50,000 unique addresses representing millions of rental units from managed properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner properties. By incorporating the most relevant products to reach renters including personalized searches and highly visual ads featuring live chat, real-time rent, online video walk-through demonstrations, professional photography, a mobile website and iPhone and Android app, Apartments.com creates easy access to its listings. Providing unmatched exposure to its advertisers through an intuitive name, strategic search engine placements, featured partnerships including Yahoo! Real Estate, Univision and more than 120 newspaper websites and innovative emerging media, Apartments.com reaches millions of renters nationwide, driving both qualified traffic and highly-engaged renters to leasing offices nationwide. Apartments.com is a division of Chicago-based Classified Ventures, LLC. The Apartments.com network of apartment rental websites includes Apartment Home Living (http://www.apartmenthomeliving.com), a leading social media apartment website distinguished by a “live for fun” community experience, proprietary lifestyle matching and local living guides to help renters find their perfect place to live.

(1) Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

(2) National Coalition for the Homeless, www.nationalhomeless.org

SOURCE Apartments.com

Back to top RELATED LINKS
http://www.chicagohomeless.org
http://www.apartments.com

With yearly cuts over four years, the state is spending $3.2 million for homeless youth shelters and services this year (FY 2012). That’s a 32% ($1.5 million) cutback from peak annual funding of $4.7 million in FY 2008.

An estimated 25,000 youth live unaccompanied across Illinois – youth living homeless and on their own, without family or guardian. This includes 3,189 youth who were enrolled in Chicago Public Schools last year. Many youth providers must turn away more youth than they can serve when funding averages $128 a youth.

“You can’t even buy a good iPod with that!” remarked a teen from H.E.L.L.O., a street youth group that’s facilitated by the CCH youth attorney, The Night Ministry and Lakeview Action Coalition.

To tell your legislator to support homeless youth, click here: http://bit.ly/AhyuDT

The teen’s remark inspired the CCH Youth Committee to join with H.E.L.L.O. to make a short video, What Am I Worth?

In the 4-minute video, youth explain the need as they see it. Several tell their own stories of how they became homeless.

Through its No Youth Alone campaign, 29 providers and agencies on the Youth Committee are advocating that Illinois restore funding to $4.7 million. Along with services, the funds help support 209 shelter beds for youth in Chicago, a statewide total of almost 400 beds.

The video was produced by 20 members of the HELLO youth group, with help from Denise Powers and Anne Holcomb from The Night Ministry, Ed Negron of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Jim Belanger of UCAN’s LGBTQ Host Homes Program, and CCH’s Jenifer Nyhuis, Beth Cunningham and Daria Mueller.

- Anne Bowhay, Media