On December 15, more than 250 advocates and community members gathered virtually to honor and remember Chicagoans who died this year while experiencing homelessness.
Now in its 11th year, the 2020 vigil was live-streamed from Old Saint Patrick’s Church, with both live and pre-recorded elements integrated throughout the presentation.
Continue reading Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial: Remembering Chicagoans who died while homeless in 2020
By Samuel Carlson, Manager of Research and Outreach
Gov. Pritzker is extending a revised eviction moratorium into the New Year.
Since March 2020, Illinois has had a moratorium (or freeze) on most eviction case filings across the state. The revised moratorium still allows Illinois landlords to evict their tenants, but it provides clarity on who is protected. The new moratorium applies until at least January 9, 2021.
Continue reading State moratorium on evictions extended through January 9, with modifications
By Samuel Carlson, Manager of Research and Outreach
As of November 14, Illinois landlords can begin filing eviction cases unless tenants provide a written statement that they should be protected by the COVID-19 eviction moratorium.
Since March 2020, Gov. Pritzker has put a moratorium (or freeze) on most eviction case filings in Illinois. A new executive order extends the moratorium another 30 days, but with fewer protections that will make it easier for Illinois landlords to evict their tenants. These changes apply until at least December 12.
Continue reading Illinois eviction moratorium extended for select households, but eligible tenants must take action
As schools continue operating remotely, many homeless students are facing even more barriers to education than they did before the pandemic. VICE interviewed CCH grassroots leader Elizabeth Maldonado and her four children about their experience with remote learning from an Englewood shelter.
Most nights, people fight and scream outside the small room where Elizabeth Maldonado and her four children sleep—or try to, at least—at a homeless shelter in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Maldonado’s 15-year-old daughter, in particular, fears that if she closes her eyes, someone will burst through the door.
It’s no wonder, then, that her kids—ages 17, 15, 12, and 9—often don’t log on to their virtual classes come morning, Maldonado said. They’re exhausted.
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Updated October 14
The deadline to respond to the 2020 Census has changed. Data collection will now end on Thursday, October 15, at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Time, which is 5 a.m. Central Standard Time, Friday, October 16.
You can read the U.S. Census Bureau’s full statement here.
That means there is still time to respond to the Census and to make sure our communities get counted.
As of October 13, Chicago’s self-response rate is only 60.5%, so there is still work to do!
Continue reading 2020 Census deadline update: count now continues through October 15
By Niya K. Kelly, Director of State Legislative Policy, Equity and Transformation
COVID-19 Related Voting Procedures
Due to the pandemic, individuals are encouraged to vote early or by mail to minimize crowds and long waits on Election Day. Those who request vote-by-mail ballots have options for how to drop them off. Local Boards of Election throughout Illinois are setting up secure ballot drop boxes for those who would prefer not to mail in their ballots. Voters can visit this portal on the Illinois State Board of Elections’ website to find their nearest ballot drop box location. Chicago drop box locations can be found here.
PLEASE NOTE: Drop boxes will NOT be available at your precinct polling place on Election Day. If you bring a ballot there, you’ll have to surrender the vote-by-mail ballot and vote a new ballot in person.
In Chicago, voters can also drop off their vote-by-mail ballots at every Early Voting Site beginning October 14, or return their ballots directly to the Chicago Board of Elections at 69 W. Washington on the sixth floor. And of course, vote-by-mail ballots can also be returned in the mail, but must be postmarked by November 3, Election Day. An informational palm card is available here.
Continue reading Election Day 2020 is November 3: Here’s how to vote if you are experiencing homelessness
Education Attorney Alyssa Phillips and grassroots leader April Harris joined WBEZ’s Reset to discuss barriers to remote learning for Chicago’s homeless students.
Remote learning begins Tuesday for nearly 400,000 students at Chicago Public Schools. But the fall semester may prove to be an extra challenge for the district’s homeless population — an estimated 16,500 students who rely on schools for Internet access and other resources.
Continue reading WBEZ: Remote Learning Creates Extra Barriers For Homeless CPS Students
By Samuel Carlson, Research and Outreach Manager
On Friday, Gov. JB Pritzker issued an Executive Order that extends the Illinois eviction moratorium through September 19, 2020.
This means Illinois landlords cannot file eviction cases and a Sheriff cannot enforce eviction actions during this time.
In Cook County, limited exceptions exist only in cases where a tenant “poses a direct threat to the health and safety” of other tenants or an “immediate and severe risk to property” (First Municipal District, Extending General Order 2020-23).
At least half a million Illinois households could be at risk of eviction–a crisis disproportionately impacting Black tenants. In Chicago, landlords evict tenants far more often in majority Black neighborhoods, per recent data collected by the U.S. Census. Black and Latinx tenants are also more likely to have an eviction case result in their eviction. Continue reading Statewide eviction moratorium extended through September 19, yet threat of increased homelessness remains
BY JOCELYN VEGA
The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) is on a mission to ensure that people experiencing homelessness are counted in the 2020 Census by increasing awareness that housing status does not bar census participation. Gloria Davis, CCH’s Census 2020 project manager, is leading outreach efforts with unhoused populations, despite COVID-19.
Her work at CCH is “trying to find a way to have [the census] be a fair and accurate count—because it really hasn’t been for us,” said Davis.
Continue reading South Side Weekly: Census Spotlight: Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Updated October 3
Have you filled out your census form yet? If not, you have until October 31 to make sure you are counted! Responding early is encouraged to avoid a follow-up visit from a U.S. Census worker.
Every person living in the country should be counted, no matter their housing status.
Yet people experiencing homelessness are often undercounted, depriving many of fair political representation and access to vital resources.
Over the past year, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless provided extensive outreach to help ensure Illinoisans living in shelters, on the street, and doubled-up are represented in the 2020 Census. CCH is one of 42 organizations across the state partnering with Forefront’s IL Count Me In 2020 initiative, which aims to support a fair and accurate count among historically undercounted communities. Continue reading CCH provides 2020 Census outreach, advocates for complete count of people experiencing homelessness
