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School-based health clinics throughout Illinois are adapting their policies to allow unaccompanied minors over the age of 14 to consent to their own health care, responding to a new law drafted and advocated by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH).

Effective October 1, 2014, the new law amends the “Consent by Minors to Medical Procedures Act,” removing a significant barrier faced by thousands of unaccompanied minors who live with a parent or legal guardian.  Continue reading Training offered on new Illinois law allowing minor consent to health care

At a packed hearing Monday, vulnerable Illinois residents talked about the dire setbacks they would face under Gov. Bruce Rauner’s plan to slash human services by $423.8 million next year.

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) staff and 11 community leaders from Aurora and Waukegan attended the Chicago hearing, called by the Senate Appropriations Committee and chaired by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago).  Continue reading Packed Senate hearing on Rauner budget cuts to human services

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) hosted a legislative breakfast March 11, attended by 30 state legislators who learned more about homeless service programs across the state.

We talked with 28 representatives and two senators from both parties about protecting vital homeless services from proposed cutbacks, including programs for homeless youth, emergency shelter and transitional housing, and homeless prevention grants to families. We also discussed restoring funds for school services to homeless students.

Joining us were staff and leaders from Aurora’s Hesed House, Youth Service Bureau in Springfield, Catholic Charities of Lake County, and a CCH leader from Will County.  Continue reading CCH hosts Springfield breakfast for 30 legislators

A group of 137 shelter residents, homeless providers and students traveled to Springfield March 4 with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). We talked to legislators about devastating cutbacks to homeless services proposed in Gov. Rauner’s FY16 state budget.

The action day included a Twitter storm from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to protest the proposed cutbacks, with supporters using the hashtags #nocuts and #twill.

More than 12,500 Illinois households would lose shelter, housing or services, as CCH detailed on our blog after the budget was announced on Feb. 18.  Continue reading We headed to Springfield Wednesday – amidst a ‘Twitter storm’ – to advocate against homeless service cutbacks

Advocating for a jobs access bill, a group of 16 advocates, attorneys and formerly incarcerated community leaders traveled to Springfield Wednesday.

Working with Cabrini Green Legal Aid and the Community Renewal Society, the CCH Reentry Project spoke to legislators about House Bill 494, which would remove lifetime barriers to employment in schools for people with a criminal record.

Sponsored by State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), HB 494 is being considered by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum and Policies Committee. Our group sought meetings with 26 legislators on the committee.  Continue reading Advocating for ex-offender job access in House Bill 494

Housing Action Illinois worked with CCH in preparing this state budget analysis.

By Jennifer Cushman & Jonathan Holmes

of the CCH Public Policy staff

Gov. Bruce Rauner’ state budget plan for FY16, released Feb. 18, proposes some life-threatening reductions in FY16 funding for safety-net homeless services and devastating decreases to health care and core services on which Illinois families depend.

Gov. Rauner proposed cuts to critical homeless services that would impact an estimated 12,582 households, eroding an already insufficient safety net for families and children. Even at this year’s funding levels, emergency shelters will turn away more than 45,000 households due to lack of capacity.  Continue reading More than 12,500 Illinois households would be hurt by homeless service cutbacks in Rauner budget

By Graham Bowman

Equal Justice Works Fellow at CCH

As a Legal Aid Committee panelist invited to discuss significant developments this past year, I talked last week about drafting a 2014 state law that allows unaccompanied Illinois minors the right to consent to their own health care.

I told the Chicago Bar Association committee of how unaccompanied minors are young people who have fallen through the cracks: They are living without a parent and the state has not intervened to declare them wards of the state and appoint a guardian. As a result, these minors are left trying to navigate systems that are not designed for children to access on their own, such as the health care and public benefits systems.  Continue reading Equal Justice Works attorney on the state’s new minor consent to health care law

Mobilized by CCH’s Statewide Network, almost 1,300 letters signed by residents of suburban DuPage and Kane counties were delivered Friday afternoon to the Chicago office of Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The letters ask the governor not to cut vital homeless services in the FY16 budget plan that Gov. Rauner will unveil Wednesday.

More than 900 letters were signed by residents of DuPage County, and more than 400 by Kane County residents, after being circulated by area churches, schools and service providers active in the Statewide Network.  Continue reading DuPage & Kane county residents sign 1,284 letters opposing state cuts to homeless services