Tribune: Bring Chicago Home–What voters need to know about the referendum

A group of protestors holds up a banner saying "Bring Chicago Home."

By Alice Yin and A.D. Quig

Since 2018, a coalition of homeless advocacy organizations, labor unions and progressive politicians has been pushing the city to designate a special revenue stream for Chicago’s homeless population. Christening themselves as the Bring Chicago Home campaign, they argue the city must address its dearth of affordable housing by raising the one-time tax on property sales.

On Tuesday evening, polls will close in the March primary election in which Chicago voters will decide the fate of a yearslong grassroots campaign to raise taxes for a fund to address homelessness, also known as Bring Chicago Home. Some Chicagoans have already cast their ballots early.

CCH is a proud member of the Bring Chicago Home coalition.

Sun-Times: Housing loss, rising rents, evictions: How Chicago’s homelessness problem evolved

A modern apartment complex with gray walls.

By Alden Loury, Mar 9, 2024

 A WBEZ analysis of Zillow rental data showed the average rent in Cook County rose by 25% from January 2021 to March 2023 — four times more than the 6% increase during an equivalent length of time before the pandemic. An inadequate supply of housing, rising rents and more evictions all contribute to the homelessness crisis.

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless routinely reminds us of the tens of thousands of people who simply can’t afford what it costs in Chicago to put a roof over their heads — so they double-up with others. It’s not about drug abuse, mental illness or similar issues that make some people less sympathetic to needs of the unhoused.

On March 19, Chicagoans will vote on the Bring Chicago Home proposal to restructure the Real Estate Transfer Tax to create a dedicated revenue stream for Chicagoans experiencing homelessness. CCH is a proud coalition member of Bring Chicago Home.

ABC7: Public safety concerns around homelessness in Chicago as crisis grows

By Chuck Goudie and Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel, Tom Jones, Maggie Green and Adriana Aguilar on Thursday, February 15, 2024

A growing number of people are living in Chicago without stable housing. An estimated 68,000 Chicagoans are experiencing homelessness according to a new report. That’s equal the population of Skokie.

This recent report from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates more than 68,000 are without stable housing here, an increase of 4.5% from the year before.

The city’s official homelessness count only includes people living in shelters or on the streets.

“How do you generate the revenue that you need in order to meet some of these needs that continue to exist?” said U.S. Rep. Davis.

The Bring Chicago Home initiative aims to do just that. If passed next month by voters, the Real Estate Transfer Tax would be raised for high-end properties to create an affordable housing fund for the homeless.

CCH is proud to be a coalition supporter of Bring Chicago Home.

WBEZ: Chicago’s elections board plans to appeal a ruling that invalidates tax referendum

By Tessa Weinberg, Feb 27, 2024

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners decided Tuesday it will appeal a ruling invalidating a referendum question known as Bring Chicago Home. The proposal is one of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top priorities and has been a longtime goal of progressive organizers.

“People can still go out and vote for the referendum. The referendum is still on the ballot. No one should stop voting for the referendum just because of (the judge’s) order,” said Ed Mullen, an election attorney representing the Bring Chicago Home campaign.

WTTW: A ‘Latino Voices’ Community Conversation: Homelessness in Chicago

By Emily Soto, February 26, 2024

In CCH’s most recent homeless estimate report, 90% of Latinx community members experiencing homelessness live doubled up. WTTW’s FIRSTHAND: Homeless series held a discussion hosted by “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” host Joanna Hernandez. She spoke to Jose Muñoz, executive director of La Casa Norte, Marty Castro, president and CEO of Casa Central, and Raul Gonzalez, a founding member of the Ojala Foundation, Latino Muslims of Chicago to understand what work is being done and the barriers to finding help and some possible solutions.

WTTW: Program Tries To Reach Homeless ‘Where They’re At’ — On CTA Trains

By Rachel Hinton — Block Club Chicago | Nick Blumberg on February 19, 2024

In the first nine months of 2023, outreach workers had more than 5,000 interactions with people using CTA trains as shelter. Many interactions ended with people indicating they didn’t want to talk further.

The program “got the ball rolling in the right direction,” said Ali Simmons, a senior case and outreach worker in the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless’ Law Project.

But he cautioned that addressing homelessness more broadly is “definitely going to take a lot more outreach, primarily because of the … magnitude of the problem.” The nonprofit Chicago Coalition for the Homeless puts the number over 68,000. That includes people who are “doubled up,” living in the homes of family or friends.

Simmons’ organization, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, is leading the effort to pass the ballot initiative Bring Chicago Home. Without more funds dedicated to addressing homelessness, “it’s like we’re going through the same thing each and every year,” Simmons said.

Tribune: Illinois should protect tenants, property owners from harms of ‘crime-free’ housing laws

By Jenna Prochaska, February 23, 2024

After examining the serious harms and civil rights threats posed by CFNOs, I have argued that state governments need to be a part of the solution. Responding to these ordinances with a city-by-city approach leaves too many tenants vulnerable. Each challenge may require years of investigation, advocacy and litigation. By the time the issues are addressed in one community, similar problems have arisen in neighboring communities that have passed their own version of a CFNO. One state-level advocate describes the effort to respond to harmful CFNOs on tenants in this way as like playing “Whac-a-Mole.”

States are particularly well situated to employ their broad legislative and enforcement powers to combat the harms caused by CFNOs. California recently enacted a law aimed at doing just that.

Illinois now has the chance to do the same by passing the Community Safety through Stable Homes Act. This bill is a critical step toward protecting tenants in our state who have suffered the effects of these dangerous ordinances for too long.

Now is the time for the Illinois legislature to act — before more harm is caused to tenants and property owners throughout the state.

WTTW: With Ballot Decision Looming, Chicago Homeless Advocates Push for Support and Funding

Mayor Brandon Johnson and other BCH supporters celebrate together inside Chicago City Hall.

By Andrea Guthmann, February 19, 2024 

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates more than 68,000 people in Chicago are experiencing homelessness. That higher number includes people who are doubled up, or temporarily living in someone else’s home, something the federal data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development does not include. Chicago voters are gearing up for a momentous decision on how to address homeless. On March 19, a question will be on the ballot asking whether to increase taxes on sales of high-end homes and commercial properties to help fund homelessness prevention.

“Not only are the homeless disproportionately people of color, but there are 20,000 CPS students impacted by homelessness,” says Carol Sharp, president and CEO of The Night Ministry. “Using that real estate transfer tax as an option to ensure that those who are purchasing homes over a million dollars are able to contribute to building a budget around solving homelessness is vitally important.”

CCH is a proud coalition supporter of Bring Chicago Home.

WTTW: Firsthand, Brian

FIRSTHAND is a local public television program presented by WTTW. Aired 02/19/24.

Brian walked into St. Leonard’s Ministries with the goal of leaving homelessness behind him. He’s taking advantage of his new life and repairing broken family relationships after years of couch surfing and sleeping in vehicles. Brian is making his voice heard through advocacy work with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

WGN: More on the Bring Chicago Home referendum

On March 15, Chicago voters will have their say on a referendum that would raise the one-time transfer tax on properties over $1 million to fund homelessness prevention in the city. It’s called the Bring Chicago Home referendum. Doug Schenkelberg, the executive director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and Tynetta Hill-Muhammad, an organizer for the bring Chicago Home Ordinance, joined the WGN Evening News to talk more about it.