By Julie Dworkin
Policy Director
Gov. Pat Quinn released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2014 on Wednesday:
The bright spot is that no cuts were proposed for the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program (funding for shelters), Homelessness Prevention Program (emergency grants to families to prevent their homelessness) or Homeless Youth Services.
All three programs are proposed for funding at this year’s levels.
Thank you to all the CCH supporters who emailed Action Alerts to the governor’s office last week.
The downside to the budget proposal is that – despite its inclusion in the State Board of Education budget – the governor did not restore $3 million for homeless education funding. This would fund school grants for programs that help homeless students remain stable and succeed in school.
Another concern is that supportive services to formerly homeless people living in permanent supportive housing – previously funded at $26.7 million – was cut by $3 million (11%). This means that permanent housing programs that are already up and running, which are obligated to provide services, will lose those dollars that fund the services.
The governor’s budget came in $500 million higher than the Illinois House has projected revenues, so further cuts are possible. CCH staff and leaders will travel to Springfield next Wednesday, March 13 to continue our work on the budget.