Budget Advocacy

CCH leaders rally in Springfield.

CCH advocates public support of programs that will curb and end homelessness. Because of the escalating state budget crisis in Illinois, CCH was an active, early partner in the Responsible Budget Coalition (RBC).

Mobilized by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, the budget coalition represents 270 organizations that have pushed state leaders to address a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. Among other efforts, CCH rallied hundreds of people to Springfield to talk to legislators about the need to increase revenue to protect homeless and housing programs.

After tax reforms were finally enacted in January 2011, CCH resumed advocating for specific programs, including homeless youth and shelter programs. We also support funding homeless prevention grants to help households facing eviction, a program created after CCH advocacy that has helped 95,000 households in 10 years.

This summer, the General Assembly passed a FY 2012 state budget that slashed funding to homeless shelters and transitional housing by 52%, from $9.1 million to $4.4 million. Before the $4.7 million cutback, shelters across Illinois had to turn away people more than 45,000 times last year – it’s estimated the cutbacks mean 6,700 more people will be turned away this year.

During the 2011 fall veto session, CCH and its allies advocated to restore these much-needed funds. We brought more than 160 homeless parents, youth and adults to Springfield – and many were there on Nov. 29, when legislators voted overwhelmingly to fully restore funding to the struggling statewide shelter system.

During the spring 2012 session, CCH and youth providers on its No Youth Alone campaign will ask for restored support for homeless youth programs – annual state funding has been slashed to $3.2 million, a 47% cutback in four years.

For more information, contact Associate Policy Director of State Affairs Daria Mueller at (312) 641-4140, or daria@chicagohomeless.org

Photo by Jaime Michelle Schmitz