Bill Text: IL HJR0110 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges Congress and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation to support the continuation and extension of federal funding directed towards eliminating the condition of homelessness in Illinois that was made available by Government initiatives such as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 and grants by President Obama.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-03-25 - Resolution Adopted [HJR0110 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HJR0110-Introduced.html

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HJ0110 LRB096 21481 KTG 38102 r
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Dedicated individuals, volunteers, communities,
and organizations have contributed their time, talents, and
efforts to working towards alleviating homelessness in
Illinois; and
WHEREAS, The purpose of this resolution aims to secure
continual and extended federal funding so that State-wide
programs, organizations, support systems, and initiatives can
continue their work of improving the quality of life for people
experiencing homelessness in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Congress enacted the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) which, along with other
provisions, authorized an estimated $11.72 billion in
additional federal funding for States to utilize in support of
programs, organizations, and initiatives working towards
reducing homelessness and the factors that cause it; and
WHEREAS, The Obama Administration awarded approximately
$80 million in grants throughout Illinois to support existing
initiatives to reduce homelessness, such as the Continuum of
Care programs that provide relief services including permanent
and temporary housing for individuals experiencing
homelessness and work to alleviate the causes of homelessness

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by supplying additional services such as job training, health
care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, and
child care; and
WHEREAS, A national survey conducted in 2007 by the
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimated that
between 2.3 and 3.5 million people experience homelessness each
year and anticipated a dramatic increase in the population of
Americans experiencing homelessness over the next several
years; and
WHEREAS, The National Alliance to End Homelessness found
that in 2007 an estimated 15,487 people in Illinois experienced
homelessness, and that 44% of those homeless persons have
families; and in another report released the following year,
the United States Conference of Mayors indicated that cities
witnessed an average increase of 12% of residents experiencing
homelessness since 2007; and
WHEREAS, The National Alliance to End Homelessness
reported that the current economic situation will force an
additional 1.5 million people into homelessness during the next
two years, and the National Coalition for the Homeless released
a report in July 2009 revealing that the recent national
foreclosure crisis has caused homelessness to rise
dramatically; and

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WHEREAS, Even though the current economic climate has
caused Illinois to face severe unprecedented budget
shortfalls, the generous grants awarded by President Obama have
prevented even more drastic budget cuts that would have been
implemented had this increase in funding not been available;
and
WHEREAS, Illinois legislators will approach the Fiscal
Year 2011 budget with as much caution as the Fiscal Year 2010
budget, yet it is estimated that lagging revenues and continued
spending pressures will result in an even larger deficit, and,
without an infusion of funding from borrowing or another
source, the State's fiscal health will continue to decline; and
WHEREAS, Multiple and varied groups throughout Illinois
are actively engaging in efforts to ameliorate the factors that
contribute to homelessness, as well as the condition of
homelessness itself; and
WHEREAS, Illinois programs such as West Suburban PADS
annually assist over 850 people, including more than 92
families, and over 158 children by offering more than 12,170
nights of emergency shelter, 39,178 meals, 22,180 days and
nights of housing, and re-housing or preventing the loss of
housing for 352 men, women, and children; and

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WHEREAS, Illinois programs such as West Suburban PADS rely
on federal funding as the primary source for 5 housing programs
that provide supportive services such as: basic needs (showers,
laundry, transportation passes, identification cards, and
telecommunications equipment to facilitate long-term
employment), case management services, benefits coordination,
housing location and retention, employment services, medical
clinics, and legal clinics; and
WHEREAS, Illinois programs such as Inner Voice have
received federal grants from government initiatives such as the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to bolster their
programs which include supportive services that annually
assist over 1,400 people who are homeless or at immediate risk
of becoming homeless and provide shelter and beds for over
1,000 homeless individuals or families in need of emergency
shelter during the year; and
WHEREAS, Illinois programs serving the downstate area,
such as M.E.R.C.Y, annually provide over 30 families with
transitional living and permanent supportive housing services
and report a sharp increase in inquiries for services, a
substantial increase in referrals from neighboring communities
for supportive services, and identify children (there are
currently over 413 homeless children in Springfield, Illinois

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public schools) as the most underserved group by federal
efforts intended to alleviate homelessness; and
WHEREAS, Additional federal funding would allow Illinois
programs such as West Suburban PADS, Inner Voice, and
M.E.R.C.Y. to continue their efforts on a larger scale by
providing them with the resources to reach more people, to
provide more services, and thus to contribute on a much broader
scale to alleviating both the problems and the factors that
cause homelessness; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we respectfully urge Congress
and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation to
support the continuation and extension of federal funding
directed towards eliminating the condition of homelessness in
Illinois that was made available by Government initiatives such
as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 and
grants by President Obama; and be it further
RESOLVED, That after adoption, suitable copies of this
resolution shall be delivered by the Clerk of the Illinois
House of Representatives to each member of the Illinois
Congressional Delegation and to President Obama.