From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign

Help us Use Social Media to Mark Human Rights Day

2009-12-03T13:29:00.002-06:00

Next Thursday, December 10, is International Human Rights Day.

We wanted to reach out to those of you that care about human rights in Illinois to encourage you to do a blog post/tweet/status update about human rights in Illinois on that day. The official U.N. theme this year is ending discrimination, so posts and the like around that aspect of human rights would be good, but we think anything that relates human rights to what is happening here in Illinois would be great.

The From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign will be doing a few posts that day centered on the campaign and other things and try to get folks to tweet "What do human rights mean to you?" So, here is what we are specifically asking you to do.

1) Encourage other bloggers/social media types/facebook friends in Illinois to do something to mark the day. As we all know, the more the merrier in the world of social media.

2) Tweet and Re-Tweet "Its International Human Rights Day - What do human rights mean to you?"

3) Write something on your blog and let us know about it so we can link to it on our blog.

Let us know if you are going to join in. Thanks for helping realize human rights in Illinois

Call Today & Tell Our Elected Official You Want Affordable Housing for the Holidays

2009-12-01T10:18:00.002-06:00

From our friends at the National Low-Income Housing Coalition:

Please Call Congress December 1 or 2 for National Housing Trust Fund (NHFT) Money!

Let's Get NHTF Money Before Congress Adjourns for Holidays

Please call your representative and both of your senators Today (Dec. 1) or Tomorrow.

Tell them you want at least $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund before Congress adjourns later in December. Urge them to support any bill moving through the House or Senate that contains money for the NHTF.

Let them know that providing money for the NHTF will create needed jobs. A $1 billion investment in the NHTF at $100,000 per unit of housing will create 15,100 construction jobs and 3,800 jobs in ongoing operations. Also, the NHTF will support local economies as low income families can afford to spend more money on goods and services when they are not spending half or more of their income on housing.

Our goal is to create an early-December blizzard of phone calls from all over in a compressed period of time to demonstrate strong and urgent support for an initial infusion of money for the NHTF. Please pass this message on to your networks.

877-210-5351 is the toll free number for the congressional switchboard. Ask to be connected to the housing staffer for your representative's and senators' offices.

The Impact of Illinois' Budget Crisis on Families in Rural Areas

2009-12-01T09:15:00.002-06:00

We at the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign have been involved with advocacy efforts around the Illinois State budget deficit for many months now, and through various blog entries and other advocacy work, have attempted to translate what the loss of these dollars and cents to human service providers has meant to the families they serve. This entry is dedicated to rural areas specifically, and how cuts to the few service agencies and organizations working in these areas have impacted the families that reside there.

First, we'll start with a brief framing of the reality our nation is facing today. At this point, almost everyone in the United States can claim having been adversely affected by the current economic climate; however, while some families have had to make due without taking a vacation or eating out as much over the past two years, millions of others are struggling to meet their basic needs. Americans who would have classified themselves as middle-class in 2007 have now moved into the ranks of the working poor or low-income status because of the loss of a home, a job, or a medical illness.

While the Federal government has been working hard at targeting this latter group (the middle-class) in order to get them spending again and reinvigorate the economy, those Americans who were experiencing poverty even before the effects of the recession took place are finding themselves left out of the conversation more and more. Not only that, the state funding provided to human service agencies that are a vital source for help for millions of these impoverished Americans has been slashed due to state governments' budget deficits. This is the scenario that the State of Illinois finds itself in today.

While social service agencies across Illinois have reported varying amounts of cuts to their FY2010 budgets (anywhere from 10% to 70%), budget cuts to those organizations located in rural areas (southern and western Illinois) have had a particularly devastating impact on the poor families residing there. Part of the reason for this is because in rural areas, there are few agencies that provide services to the poor in the first place, therefore, when those few agencies (many of which get most, if not all, of their operating budget from state grants) experience cuts in their budgets, they are forced to reduce services, eliminate programs, or close their doors. In addition, while many of these agencies have experienced an increase in demand for their services over the past two years (due to the recession), they are forced to serve less and less people because of cuts to their budgets (assuming they were fortunate enough to be able to keep their doors open).

Professor Scott Allard from the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration's work highlights the growing mismatch between where social service agencies are located and where a majority of impoverished individuals live, and illustrates the spatial mismatch that currently exists. This mismatch is further amplified in rural areas when human service agencies' budgets are cut and they are forced to eliminate programs and/or reduce services. This, in turn, translates to thousands of poor families in rural areas who are in desperate need for help are finding less and less of it available to them in their communities today.

An example that can help illustrate this point is a Health Department in Southern Illinois. While speaking with the Executive Director there, I learned that this Health Department, through their five-year plan, had identified Domestic Violence as an area that they needed to emphasize and specifically target in their community through the services they provided.

Based on their county's five-year plan, they implemented 24/7 Domestic Violence services along with a court advocacy program. However, the round of budget cuts that were passed down from the State of Illinois for FY2010 cut their 24/7 Domestic Violence services program by 60% in addition to the Court Advocacy program also taking a 60% cut to its budget. This health department is where victims of domestic violence turned to when they needed help, and considering that the Department identified Domestic Violence as a major issue in their community, the question then becomes:

What do these victims of Domestic Violence do when they find the courage to seek help and can't find it?

To make matters worse, the FY2011 budget deficit is now closer to $13 billion which officials have already warned will mean further cuts to human service providers' budgets. While many legislators will convey to the public that these cuts are unavoidable and must be enacted in order to balance our state's budget, we at the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign know that there is another way: By raising additional revenue through an income tax increase.

You can, RIGHT NOW, make a difference in the lives of millions of poor families in Illinois by supporting the work the Responsible Budget Coalition is already doing and reaching out to your representative to let them know that you support an increase in revenue through an income tax increase. If you would like to find out who your representative is or become involved in the work of the Responsible Budget Coalition, click here and here.

TAKE ONE MINUTE out of your day and ACT NOW! Thousands of poor rural Illinois families are depending on you!

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-11-30T10:26:00.002-06:00

From November 24th to November 31st

Catholic Church Gives Pilsen Group $500,000 For Housing Effort - Chicago Tribune, 11/24/09

Group Pushes To Up Wages for NU Food Service, Janitorial Employees - The Daily Northwestern, 11/24/09

Plan To Cut Poverty in Illinois Needs to Include a Way to Pay for It - Medill Reports, 11/24/09

Senate to Probe School Discipline Gap - Peoria Journal-Star, 11/26/09

Group Sees That Among Suburban Residents, More are Hungry - The Daily Herald, 11/27/09

Donations Lag Behind Need for Springfield Non Profits - The News-Leader, 11/28/09

Champaign Exploring Options To Help Homeless in Area - The News-Gazette, 11/28/09

Exercise Your Human Right to Take a Break

2009-11-25T09:02:00.004-06:00

My natural instinct is to list several stats on the reality of hunger and poverty as we enter a day associated with food and excess.

But I won't.

You and I both know there are people in need the day before and after Thanksgiving. We, as well as many others, write about it regularly. We offer analysis of legislation, comments on new reports, stories about those facing hardship. Each piece reinforcing the message that there is work to be done.

So, I am going to ask folks to do something slightly out of step tomorrow - take a break.

There is an often overlooked article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Article 24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Many of you will be working because you need to. Many of you will be offering your time to make sure everyone has a holiday filled with dignity. These are good and noble things.

My hope, though, is you can take a moment for yourself. To step back, look around you, and reflect on what you have in your life and to truly give thank for those people and things, so that on November 27 and all the days after you are ready to continue to do this work we all know needs to be done.

Thank you for reading this piece. Thank you for following and being part of the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign's work. Thank you making human rights a reality for everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-11-23T09:31:00.003-06:00

From November 17th to November 23rd

Study: Tax Increase Only Solution to State's Widening Budget Crisis - Decatur Tribune, 11/17/09

State Not Paying Bills: Social Services In Doubt - The Geneva Sun, 11/18/09

Finding A Way To Pay - Progress Illinois, 11/20/09

Food Pantry "A Blessing" in Hard Times - Chicago Tribune, 11/20/09

Illinois Launches Health Care Quality Data Site - Fierce Health Care, 11/20/09

Homeless Awareness Event Aids Veterans - The Herald Review, 11/22/09

Food Pantries See Increased Demand - The Commercial-News, 11/22/09

Homeless Problem Escalates as Available Shelters Shrink - The News-Gazette, 11/23/09

Election Remains Big Obstacle to Budget Fix - Chicago Public Radio, 11/23/09

Illinois' Tax Structure Places Excess Burden On The Poor

2009-11-18T12:39:00.008-06:00

As the effects of the recession continue to impact the economic stability of just about every state across the country; budgets, and consequently tax rates, have become incendiary topics of debate. Adding fuel to this fire, A recently released report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy provides a state-by-state breakdown of how sales, property, and income tax rates are dispersed among the poor, the middle-class and the upper-class. The study found that a majority of states have policies that tax the low and middle class more so than high-income families:

The average state and local tax rate on the best-off one percent of families is 6.4 percent before accounting for the tax savings from federal itemized deductions. After the federal offset, the effective tax rate on the best off one percent is a mere 5.2 percent.

The average tax rate on families in the middle 20 percent of the income spectrum is 9.7 percent before the federal offset and 9.4 percent after-almost twice the effective rate that the richest people pay.

The average tax rate on the poorest 20 percent of families is the highest of all. At 10.9 percent, it is more than double the effective rate on the very wealthy.

In essence, it boils down to this: the poorer you are, the larger the share of your income must be delegated to paying taxes. If a large proportion of income goes solely to paying taxes, that reduces the amount of money families can spend on other daily necessities.

That means less money to rent a house in a neighborhood with lower crime rates.

That means less money to buy food to keep your children healthy.

That means less money for transportation to get to jobs.

That means less money for health care to ensure you are healthy enough to work.

The list goes on and on. Yet there is great variance in how states differ when enacting tax policy that puts an unfair burden on the poor. Unfortunately, Illinois ranks in the "Top Ten Most Regressive Tax Systems" in the nation. As the report highlights:

The most regressive states generally either do not levy an income tax, or levy the tax at a flat rate;

These states typically have an especially high reliance on regressive sales and excise taxes;

These states usually do not allow targeted low-income tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit; these tax credits are especially effective in reducing state tax unfairness.

As a result of these regressive tax policies, low-income families pay almost six times as much of their income to taxes as their wealthy counterparts.

The idea of "pulling one up by their bootstraps" is a mentality that has been embedded in the social fabric of this country. Ideally, if a person works hard enough, no matter their skin color, gender or anything else, they will be able to achieve economic mobility and provide a quality life for their family. Yet, given how state tax structures unfairly burden the poor, combined with increasing unemployment, foreclosures and health care costs, too many people have had their boot straps stolen.

The Responsible Budget Coalition believes that by addressing Illinois regressive tax systems, we can all do better. The coalitions goal is to raise the state income tax to five percent, while increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit to offset the additional burden for low-income families. The additional revenue created by the tax hike would fill social service budget gaps caused by the state deficit, and help families who have been impacted by the recession.

Tales From A Homeless Shelter

2009-11-16T14:26:00.005-06:00

Editor's Note: This article was written by Ryan J. Dowd - Executive Director of Hesed House, a Comprehensive Homeless Resource Center.

Hesed House: Homeless Baby Crying

Being the Executive Director of Illinois’ second largest homeless shelter can feel quite “ordinary” and “business-like” some days. I spend a good part of every day at my desk talking on the phone and typing at my computer. I go to meetings, look at budgets and address staff questions. It can all feel very “normal.”

But then I hear a baby crying…

You see, my office is next to one of the dorm rooms in Hesed House’s Transitional Living Community and that dorm room is currently home to a family with a newborn baby. The walls are thin and from time to time, I hear their baby crying.

And the normalcy is shattered…

I am reminded that newborn babies live in homeless shelters. I am reminded that this year over 100 children will call Hesed House home. I am reminded that children go to school every day fearful that their classmates will find out where they live. I am reminded that America is already seeing a wave of homeless adults who were homeless as children, and that if we all don’t do a better job today we are setting the stage for a more homeless tomorrow. I am reminded that homelessness of the magnitude and type that we see in America today simply did not exist when I was born—we have created it in my lifetime. Literally.

And the task ahead seems so daunting…

The walls at Hesed House are not thin enough for me to hear the young mother in the dorm room next to my office comfort her baby, but I know she does it. The baby’s cries grow quieter—to a whimper—like someone is holding him and patting his back.

And I try to return to my work, but…

My thoughts turn to the community that has created Hesed House. And the thousands of volunteers and donors who give up their time and resources to care for their neighbors in need. And the dozens of staff at Hesed House who work long hours for low pay helping families to get back into their own homes. And the hundreds of nonprofits around the country experimenting with new and innovative ways to end homelessness one person—one family—at a time.

And soon the baby stops crying…

I can see a future without homelessness. I am not being a naïve idealist. It is only in the last three decades that we have witnessed homelessness of the type and magnitude that exists today. If we can create the modern phenomenon of homelessness, can we not uncreate it? You—and your counterparts across the country—are already beginning the difficult process of creating a different world. You are voting differently and hiring differently and giving differently. You won’t settle for a world where homeless babies live in the local shelter.

And I return to my work knowing that I will have the opportunity to be a part of the day that the baby next door and his family move out of Hesed House into their own home… his first.

Peace,
Ryan
Ryan J. Dowd, Atty., MPA
Executive Director

Hesed House is a movement of those concerned for the dignity, survival and reclamation of homeless, hungry and hopeless people. For more information on this organization, please visit their website: http://www.hesedhouse.org/index.html

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-11-16T10:33:00.004-06:00

From November 10th to November 16th

Free Workshop on Fighting Foreclosure at ICC - Peoria-Journal Star, 11/10/09

State Panels Goal: Eliminate Poverty - NBC Chicago, 11/11/09

10 States Face Financial Peril - CNN, 11/11/09

Africans in Chicago Demand More Money for Refugees , Ethopian Review, 11/12/09

Study Criticizes Top-Down Coverage of Living Wage Debate - Progress Illinois, 11/13/09

Judy Guenseth: Illinois Tax Codes Burden Poor - The Register- Mail, 11/14/09

Chicago Public Schools Look To Advocacy Group for Curbing Teen Violence - The Chicago Tribune, 11/15/09

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-11-09T09:21:00.002-06:00

From November 2nd to November 9th

Community Crisis - The Chicago Tribune, 11/2/09

State Income Taxes Pushing Many Working-Poor Families Deeper Into Poverty - Reuters, 11/4/09

Illinois Residence Can Apply For Energy Assistance - The Quad-City Times, 11/4/09

1,500 Suburban Kids to Sleep Outside As a "Wake-Up Call" for Homelessness - Reuters, 11/5/09

Englewood Shelter Struggles to Survive Without Funding - Medill Reports Chicago, 11/5/09

For CHA "Transformation" Success Still Elusive - Chicago Gazette, 11/6/09

Budget Crisis Creeps Into Schools - Progress Illinois, 11/6/09

Program Gives Teens More Than Shelter - Chicago Tribune, 11/8/09

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-11-02T09:23:00.002-06:00

From October 26th to November 2nd

Supplies Tight at Local Food Pantries - The State Journal-Register, 10/26/09

Unemployment May Be the Political Story of 2010 - The Wall Street Journal, 10/26/09

State Budget Crisis Nowhere Near Over - The Times-Herald, 10/27/09

Health Care Round Up - Progress Illinois, 10/27/09

5000 Protest Bank Power, Abuses, as Showdown Escalates - Working In These Times, 10/27/09

Teachers Cite Poverty, Not Violence As the Key Issue In Schools - Medill Reports, 10/27/09

City to Spend Extra $1.4 Million on Homeless in New Daley Budget - Chicago Tribune, 10/28/09

UN Investigates Whether Chicago Housing Violates Human Rights - Medill Reports, 10/28/09

Homeless Citizens: Champaign Lacks Needed Resources - The Daily Illini, 10/29/09

Homeless Students: Increasingly, Families Taking Shelter Anywhere They Can - Chicago Tribune, 10/29/09

Homeless Students: We Have Everything We Need - The Chicago Tribune, 10/29/09

New State Law Goes Into Effect to Protect Renters by Foreclosure - E-News Park Forest, 10/29/09

Illinois School Test Scores: Income-based Gap Proves Hard to Close - The Chicago Tribune, 10/30/09

Aid System Frustrates Refugees - The Chicago Tribune, 10/31/09

Illinois' Poverty Commission is Up and Running - Details from the First Meeting

2009-10-29T10:17:00.011-05:00

Close to 40 individuals from across Illinois gathered yesterday in Springfield to launch the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. As w e have written about before, the Commission was established by law in 2008, and is now finally beginning its work. Members of the commission from as far south as Cairo and as far north as Zion came to Springfield to begin the difficult, but critical task of crafting a Poverty Elimination Strategy for Illinois that will cut extreme poverty in half by 2015.

The meeting focused laying out the task before the body and on organizing the work of the Commission moving forward. The Social I MPACT Research Center of Heartland Alliance's Director, Amy Rynell, presented a detailed look at who is experiencing extreme poverty in Illinois. This information, and more like it as the commission moves forward, will drive the recommendations.

In addition to a look a the data, the Commission held a conversation around how they will employ international human rights standards in their work. As you may recall, the Commission's statute dictates that all the work of the commission must be consistent with international human rights standards. The Commission's co-chairs, Dr. Toni Irving of the Office of Governor Pat Quinn and Rev. Dr. Sid Mohn of Heartland Alliance, walked the Commission members through some of the guiding principles - progressive realization, engagement of impacted populations, affirmation of dignity - that will shape how the Commission does its work.

In addition to these broader conversations, the Commission formed three Working Committees:

Living with Dignity - Solutions for those that are not expected or are not able to work. (Children, Seniors, Individuals with Severe Disabilities)
Committee Chair - Dwight Lucas - East Central Illinois Community Action Agency

Making Work Accessible - Solutions for those detached from the workforce.
Committee Chair - Al Riddley - Illinois Coalition for Community Services

Making Work Pay - Solutions for those engaged in work, but still living in extreme poverty.
Committee Chair - Maria Whelan - Illinois Action for Children

These committees will begin meeting in the coming weeks and will engage commission members and non-commission members alike in their deliberations. In addition, they will a co-chair will be identified for each one.

The Commission is planning on issuing its final Poverty Elimination Strategy in mid-August 2010. Between now and then, there will be a series of Working Committee meetings and public hearings (to begin in 2010). The Commission stressed the importance of engaging the broader public, especially those that are experiencing extreme poverty, in the process.

The From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign will work diligently to make sure that those engaged in the Campaign are involved in all aspects of the process. Those interested in helping strategize on how to ensure that engagement should plan on joining the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign's next meeting on November 11 at 3 p.m. Contact us for more information on how to join.

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-10-26T09:37:00.003-05:00

From October 20th to October 26th

Layoff Notices for Bus Drivers, other CTA Workers - The Chicago Sun Times, 10/20/09

Chicago Housing Authority and Operation Warm to Give Away 10,000 Coats to Chicago's Public Housing Kids - Chicago Now, 10/21/09

Elgin Salvation Army Closing Due to Slump In Sales - CBS 2 Chicago, 10/21/09

Poll Shows Illinoisans Want Big Budget Cuts But Oppose Trimming in Many Areas - The Journal Gazette Times-Courier, 10/21/09

Voters Want Cut in Budget, Not Services - The Daily Egyptian, 10/21/09

Refugee Teens Make Film About Their Confrontations With Violence in Chicago - The Chicago Tribune, 10/23/09

Cook County Health, Hospitals Issue Layoff Notices - Chicago Sun Times, 10/25/09

Paxton Among 30 DCFS Offices Set to Close - The News-Gazette, 10/25/09

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-10-19T08:54:00.002-05:00

From October 11th to October 18th

Pantry's Supplies Wanes Amid Rising Need - The Naperville Sun, 10/11/09

Job Fair Sponsors Hope to Improve Unemployment Rate - The Northwest Indiana Times, 10/13/09

Grant to Benefit DuPage County Food Pantry - My Suburban Life, 10/13/09

Postal Authorities Discuss Plan for Main Post Office - Chicago Sun Times, 10/13/09

Deputies Protest Planned County Budget Cuts - The State Journal-Register, 10/14/09

State Government Faces $900 Million Budget Shortfall - ABC 7 Chicago, 10/16/09

Foreclosure Rescue Scam Artists Still At Work In Chicago - Medill Chicago Reports, 10/16/09

Illinois Unemployment Rate Rises to 10.5 Percent - The Examiner, 10/17/09

Illinois' Commission on the Elimination of Poverty Set to Meet on October 28

2009-10-16T08:19:00.012-05:00

One of the major accomplishments of the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign in 2008 was the creation of the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. As you may recall, this Commission was created to give the state the blueprint it needs to end poverty in a manner consistent with international human rights standards. The initial task of the Commission is to create a substantive, measurable plan that cuts extreme poverty in half by 2015.

Since the bill was signed into law back in the summer of 2008, we have waited. And waited. Appointments needed to be made that did not happen. Making things more complicated, a governor was arrested, a new governor sworn in, and a massive budget crisis (which has not gone way) jumped in front of many other issues.

Through all these roadblocks, the campaign's members have continued to push for the Commission to meet and begin its work. In September, the final appointments to the Commission were made by the leaders in the Senate. Since then, the Campaign has been working closely with the Governor's office to prepare for the Commission's first meeting, October 28 in Springfield.

This first meeting is not small accomplishment. With all the roadblocks mentioned and the fact that dozens, if not hundreds, of commissions and boards established via legislation never get off the ground, the progress on the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty is a sign of both the commitment to this issue of the thousands of individuals and organizations across the state and the importance of the issues the Commission must tackle.

As we have pointed out before, a lot has changed since we launched the Campaign in 2006, but one thing, unfortunately, remains the same. Too many people are experiencing extreme poverty in Illinois. (pdf)

Now is the time for action.

There will be numerous opportunities for people throughout the state to make their voice heard about what is needed to realize the human rights of those experiencing this extreme level of hardship. If you have not endorsed the Campaign, do it now to stay informed, show your commitment to the Campaign's goals, and help hold the Commission accountable.

An Update On Budget Cut Impacts

2009-10-12T10:53:00.008-05:00

This week it will be 3 months since the state of Illinois passed its budget. As the economy worsens, money dwindles and need for social services increases, the impacts of this budget has become more pronounced. Our office, working collaboratively with the Responsible Budget Coalition has been contacting human service agencies to try and accurately gauge the depths of these cuts across the state. The findings have been clear: the enactment of budget cuts have compounded an already dire situation. Budget cuts, combined with delays in payment and increased demand for services have kept human service organizations scrambling just to keep their doors open. Below we provide a small sample of how these three factors plays out at actual agencies and what they implications they may have.

Budget Cuts

Ranges in the size of cuts to each agencies have varied across the state. These cuts have ranged anywhere from $15,000 to over $1.7 million for any given individual agency. For example, The Anna Bixby Women's Center saw a $150,000 reduction in their budget, which constituted approximately 15% of their overall budget. In response to this cut, the Center, which provides social services to survivors of domestic violence, had to lay-off 50% of their entire staff.

Impact INC, which is an independent living center providing services to the disabled lost 15% of their general revenue which amounted to $132,110. As a result of this cut the center had to layoff two specialists and one program coordinator, causing over 200 disabled citizens to lose services - services that were key in helping them live self-sustaining, dignified lives. Sadly this scenario has played out at Independent Living Centers across the state, as 1.6 million dollars were cut from 22 centers.

County Health Departments, which provide low-cost vaccinations, administers WIC program for women and children and conduct health inspections of restaurants also saw significant state funding shortfalls. For example, The Vermillion County Health Department, facing an $81,000 budget reduction was forced to eliminate its Teen Parenting Program and lay off five of its workers.

Delayed Payments

Equally as damaging to organizations as the aforementioned budget cuts has been the state government's inability to make timely payment for rendered services. The Shawnee Alliance for Seniors, which provides Adult Day Care for the elderly were waiting on $500,000 worth of bills, which the state was 97 days late in paying. The Fellowship House Rehab Center in Anna, which specializes in substance abuse, waited over 6 months for the state to pay $1.5 million from services rendered last fiscal year.

Given the already precarious nature of human service fiscal health, many organizations are struggling to keep their doors open waiting for the governments tardy payments. In fact, to make up for these missing funds, some organizations have sought out additional loans or lines of credits. These additional loans and lines of credit come with hefty interest rates and administrative costs. While waiting for the state's payment The Fellowship House Rehab Center in Anna was forced to take out a loan which had a six percent interest rate. In an ironic twist, when the Rehab Center is forced to make interest payments, they will be unable to use money from their state budget but rather will have to find those funds elsewhere.

Increased Demand For Services

Unemployment and poverty rates are on the rise throughout Illinois hitting low-income populations the hardest. With the recession exposing more and more families to the ills of poverty, these families are turning to human service organizations in droves. Bethany Village, which runs a food pantry in Anna, Illinois, saw a 20 percent increased demand for their services. So, while Bethany Village didn't see a reduction in their budget from last fiscal year, retaining current budget levels is in essence a 20% reduction.

The picture gets even bleaker for other agencies. Embarras River Basin Agency which administers homeless prevention programs for the low-income and the elderly, saw their budget get slashed by $67,000 despite the demand for these reduced services increasing 30% from last year alone.

Still, it is hard to grasp the full impact of how this year's state budget is affecting service rates because of the nature of these programs. Agencies have responded to this budget crisis by reducing services, increasing furlough days and reducing hours of operations. Hence, it is impossible to fully gauge how many clients are seeking services because these agencies may never even see these people.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The agencies and organizations mentioned here are only a fraction what is happening all over Illinois. The combination of budget cuts, delayed payments and increased demand for services has created an economic climate that human service organizations in Illinois cannot expect to sustain. Social service agencies may be able to survive day-to-day for the remainder of this fiscal year, but what will happen come next fiscal year? With the absence of American Recovery and Reinvestment funds to fill budget holes this problem could prove to be fatal to organizations that dedicate themselves to helping the the vulnerable in the state of Illinois. How will this impact our communities, our families? Is this really our vision for what our state should look like?

If it is not, than do your part to support the effort of the Responsible Budget Coalition in insuring that the Illinois General Assembly does what it is morally obligated to do: pass a responsible budget that increases revenue sources so as to offset these budget cuts. A rally is being held at the State Capital in Springfield this Thursday at 12:00 pm to stop these cuts that hurt Illinois families.

Dean Baker nicely sums up the important role that rallies, such as the one this Thursday, can play in affecting public policy:

The elites hate to acknowledge it, but when large numbers of ordinary people are moved to action, it changes the narrow political world where the elites call the shots. Inside accounts reveal the extent to which Johnson and Nixon's conduct of the Vietnam War was constrained by the huge anti-war movement. It was the civil rights movement, not compelling arguments, that convinced members of Congress to end legal racial discrimination. More recently, the townhall meetings, dominated by people opposed to health care reform, have been a serious roadblock for those pushing reform.

Now is the time to come together and stand in solidarity for a budget that does not cut services to men, women, and children precisely at the time they are needed most. Much damage has already been done as a result of these budget cuts, but together, with your help, we can avert further damage by passing a responsible budget that allows us all to do better.

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-10-12T09:21:00.002-05:00

From October 5th to October 12th

Spotlight: Any health reform must address disparities in care to poor, minorities - The Peoria Journal-Star, 10/5/09

Primary Care Shortage Worsens and an Illinois Clinic Experiments With a Program To Train More Nurses - Kaiser Health News, 10/5/09

Lunch Waivers on the Rise in Schools Across Illinois - Chicago Tribune, 10/5/09

Rally Cap: Chicago Family Saved From Eviction - Progress Illinois, 10/5/09

Anti-poverty Advocate Calls For End of Hunger - The Argus Leader, 10/6/09

Champaign County Gets $9 Million Grant to Help Kids - The News Gazette, 10/6/09

A Closer Look At the Responsible Budget Coalition - Galesburg Register-Mail, 10/6/09

Social Service Agencies Say Budget Problems Haven't Been Fixed - The State Journal-Register, 10/7/09

Participants Experience The Lows of Poverty - My Web Times, 10/9/09

How Domestic Violence Services Make the Case for New Revenue in Illinois

2009-10-05T12:25:00.000-05:00

There has been lots of discussion around why it just makes more sense to fully fund human service providers. The moral argument has already been laid out explaining that the State of Illinois owes it to its people to provide these services.

Well, here is an economic argument as to why, when considering the dollars and cents of the matter, it still makes more sense to fully fund human service providers so as not to have to spend more in other costs (e.g. healthcare, lost work)

In the specific case of Domestic Violence (DV)/Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), funding human services NOW means saving on hundreds of thousands of dollars on healthcare and workplace costs in Illinois.

The most recent report addressing the costs of IPV comes from the Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Entitled Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States the 2003 report estimates the national costs of intimate partner violence against women ages 18 and older. These costs include the costs of intimate partner violence-related injuries, costs of lost productivity resulting from intimate partner violence, and the economic costs of lives lost to intimate partner violence homicide.

The data from the report was collected in 1995 but adjusted to 2003 dollars. All of these costs contribute significantly to the economic burden of intimate partner violence that falls on the shoulders of tax payers both at the Federal and State level.

Below are some highlights from the report:

-Stat: The report found that the costs of IPV against women in the United States exceed an estimated $5.8 billion in 1995 numbers. When updated to 2003 dollars, the cost is more than $8.3 billion

The majority of these costs (about 70%) are in the direct costs of medical care and mental healthcare; the remaining 30% stem from the indirect costs of lost productivity and Present Value of Lifetime Earnings (PVLE).

NOW CONSIDER THIS: Mental health services and DV services received anywhere from 10-20% cuts to their budgets in the FY2010 IL State Budget, still need to get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars from the State of Illinois from Fiscal Year 2009, AND have seen an increase in the need for the services they provide partly because of the current state of our economy.

-Recommendation: Considering the current debate over healthcare reform and the myriad ways that both parties have come up with to save on healthcare costs, an easy step Illinois can take to help bring down its healthcare costs stemming from IPV/DV is to fully fund the human service providers who work to help reduce, and one day eliminate, IPV/DV.

-Stat: 30% of the total costs of IPV reported came from the indirect costs of lost productivity and Present Value of Lifetime Earnings (PVLE)

-NOW CONSIDER THIS: Seeing that the U.S. is in an economic recession right now and that Federal, State, and Local governments are all working towards bringing down the unemployment rate and putting Americans to work again, doesn't it make sense to help those who already have jobs to keep them? The services provided by Domestic Violence service agencies play an essential role in doing just that by providing counseling, legal advocacy and referrals, as well as TANF advocacy for those who qualify for it.

-Recommendation: Restoring full funding to IPV/DV agencies in Illinois will allow them to continue their pivotal work in helping hundreds of thousands of victims maintain their employment or gain access to new employment opportunities.

In addition, further breaking down this data shows that in 2003 dollars, it cost the Illinois tax-payers about $1566 per IPV/DV victimization in healthcare and lost work (time and potential wages) costs!

According to Nadeja Wesley, Program Manager in Heartland Human Care Services' Violence Recovery Services Program, in 2004, VRS spent a total of $746 per client on providing essential domestic violence and sexual violence services including counseling, case management (e.g. legal advocacy, housing advocacy and referrals, employment referrals), and parenting classes.

So, doesn't it simply make more economic sense to provide full funding to DV service providers as opposed to paying higher costs in lost work time and healthcare bills?

If you agree, then here is one easy way for you to do something about it: Endorse the Responsible Budget Coalition's (RBC) work advocating for a fair and balanced 2011 Illinois State Budget.

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-10-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

For September 28th to October 5th

Orphans Facing Homeless: Community Trying To Intervene - Chicago Now, 9/28/09

Governor's Plan To Layoff State Employees Goes on Hold - Chicago Tribune, 9/29/09

US Census Data Shows More Illinois Residents Living In Poverty, Median Income Drops - Washington Examiner, 9/29/09

Program To Aid Unemployed Youth Extended - The Daily Chronicle, 9/29/09

New Coalition Calls For Moral, Ethical Budget - Progress Illinois, 9/30/09

AARP Wants Illinois Governor To Halt Budget Cuts - CBS 2 Chicago, 9/30/09

Housing Acts as Health Care For Homeless - Medill Reports Chicago, 9/30/09

Chicago Lost Most Jobs Nationwide in August - Medill Reports Chicago, 10/2/09

Nepal Exit Becomes City School Entry - Chicago Tribune, 10/3/09

Legal Aid Safety Net Stretched Thin - Progress Illinois, 10/3/09

Poverty is up in Illinois & How we bring it down.

2009-09-29T09:35:00.000-05:00

It is official. The number of people living in poverty in Illinois has grown. 12.2% of the population are now officially in poverty, translating to 1,532,238 million people.

Given the lag in official poverty statistics, this increase comes as no surprise. The recession has pushed more and more people below the poverty line. (Keep in mind, the current measure is in desperate need of updating.)

When we look at a sample of the different villages, cities, and counties throughout our state, we see a wide range of poverty rates:

Peoria - 21.4%
Arlington Heights - 3.4%
Rockford - 23.3%
Decatur - 16.3%
Vermilion County - 12.3%
Schaumburg - 6.1%
Elgin - 14.8%
Sagamon County - 11.3%

These numbers demonstrate one consistent fact - poverty is everywhere. Higher concentrations in some areas than others for sure, but no place is immune to poverty. No place is free of hardship.

So, what does this mean? A couple of things.

1) Now, more than ever, we need to focus on poverty.

When this Campaign was launched back on Human Rights Day in 2006, our world looked different. Rod Blagojevich was governor. George W. Bush was president. The economy was roaring. Unemployment was incredibly low. Poverty rates were holding steady, with some jumps and some declines.

Now, in 2009, we have a different Governor and a different President. Our economy has screeched to a halt. The state's budget woes are the worst they have been in years. Unemployment is the highest it has been in decades. And poverty is up.

As a result, our work to directly address poverty is all the more important. More people are facing lives without opportunity. Long-term solutions, that strengthen the infratructure for protecting families and human rights, are critical. People that were experiencing poverty before the recession hit are that much further from self-sufficiency, and the compliment of human services they turn to in tough times has been undermined.

There has been a curious shift during the recession. Before the recession, we commonly heard that those experiencing poverty had no one to blame but themselves. Despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, too many people felt poverty was simply the result of an individual making bad choices.

There has been a shift - some of it good, some of it bad. Many are now ready to acknowledge that larger forces and systems push families into poverty. This realization has opened the door to new thinking about what as a society can do. On the flip side, there are those that say we cannot focus on poverty now. We need to focus on recovery. Well, the people that were living in poverty before the recession hit were waiting for recovery back then. If we are going to get our economy back in shape, we cannot set one group of people to the side and say we will worry about them later. It is all hands on deck. Everyone that is given true opportunity to move towards self-sufficiency helps themselves and society as a whole.

2) There are concrete things we can and are doing about poverty.

We can make a real difference in our communities and our state. Simple acts and innovative programs can go a long way to ensuring individuals and families have real opportunity. The pieces of the stimulus funding that has focused on supports has had a real impact, and we can and should continue those policies beyond the recovery act.

Here in Illinois, the most important thing we can do is fix our structural deficit. As we documented many, many, many times over the past few months, inadequate revenue has caused the programs and services that help the most vulnerable in Illinois to be threatened.

It is not an easy thing to do, but it is the right thing. There are other policies that need to be put in place, other changes that should be done, but until we fix our state's budget, we are tinkering around the edges.

3) We cannot be discouraged.

When you are working towards the goal of ending poverty, and you see the number of people in poverty increasing instead of decreasing, you may want to throw your hands up in the air and give up. That is, on some level, a rational response.

But here's the thing - we just can't.

Too many people are counting on us to keep trying. Too much good work has been done to date to stop now. Think about how much larger the number of people in poverty would be today were it not for the hard work and perseverance of dedicated people who refused to give up in the face of adversity.

No one said it would be easy. We cannot stop simply because some numbers are reminding us of this point.

We will make progress. We will work together to give families real opportunity. We will end poverty.

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-09-28T09:29:00.003-05:00

From September 21st to September 28th:

CUB To Give Away Thousands of Money-Saving Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs - Citizens Utility Board, 9/21/09

Want Free Legal Advice? Pick Up The Phone - The Daily Herald, 9/21/09

Rock Island Will Use $3.1 Million For Affordable Housing - Quad City Times, 9/21/09

Third Week of School, Kids Still Lack Teachers - Chicago Public Radio, 9/21/09

Illinois Gets $350,000 Nutrition Grant - The Daily Herald, 9/22/09

Housing For Homeless Critical For Health Care - Chicago Tribune, 9/23/09

House Bill Adds To Jobless Benefits in 27 States - Associated Press, 9/23/09

Durbin Discusses Help For Homeless Vets - Chicago Tribune, 9/24/09

Double-Amputee is Unable to Get Job, Health Insurance - Belleville News-Democrat, 9/28/09

Fiscally Sound Policy: Health Care/Housing For the Homeless

2009-09-22T09:21:00.007-05:00

As the debate over health care reform rages on, proponents for health care reform have been faced with a perplexing dilemma: Is the most effective argument for health care reform a moral or practical one? We here at the campaign usually take the moral route, arguing that health care is a human right that should be afforded to all men, women and children. Considering that health care reform, in all its current forms, would immensely expand health care access, the moral argument is a strong one. That health reform would expand coverage is a consensus that reaches across both sides of the political fence. Given that, opponents of reform have shifted the argument, debating whether the financial price of health reform is worth the moral benefits.

Thanks to a groundbreaking new study conducted by the Aids Foundation of Chicago, those moral benefits are now synonymous with cost efficiency. "The Chicago Housing and Health Partnership" report studied 405 chronically ill homeless, providing housing and intensive case management for health care to half the group, while letting the other half navigate the traditional system of homeless shelters and hospitals.

The results of this project, as Mark Ishaug, the President and CEO of the Aids Foundation details, were incredible:

Remarkably, homeless people who were housed were admitted to the hospital one-third fewer times than people in the control group. They also spent one-third fewer days in the hospital and went to the emergency room one-fourth fewer times.

For every 100 homeless adults offered the program intervention, there would be 49 fewer hospitalizations, 273 less days spent in the hospital, and 116 fewer emergency department visits.

As we explained a month ago, when homeless individuals do not have access to a medical home, they will seek care in an Emergency Room; this is a process that is expensive and inefficient. By providing wraparound services that coordinate programs that keep people out of poverty, this country can fulfill a moral obligation to allow its citizens to live a dignified, humane life. What's more, providing these wraparound programs can actually save large amounts of money in an era of billion dollar deficits and crippling budget cuts.

A similar program, which provides cost-efficient medical care to the uninsured and under-insured in Newark, New Jersey, will hopefully set a precedent that is imitated all across the country. Teresa Heinz who works for the foundation running the program, says her organization initiated it because "It's cost effective and it's kinder". In essence, that simple statement combines the moral argument for health care reform with the financial one.

If health care reform is morally right AND more cost effective than the current system, what exactly is the problem?

For that last statement to ring true though, the whole must be greater than the sum of its parts. As seen in the "Chicago Housing and Health-care" project, expanding health reform will only truly be cost efficient if programs to end homelessness are simultaneously put in place. The same can be said for national health reform as a whole.

This is why the report is so important; it shows that by coordinating services together, a better, more affordable outcome can be achieved than by service's working independently of each other. Health reform, as pushed by the Obama Administration is making important strides. Let's not forget the need to address needs such as food and housing though. If citizens of this country don't have a safe place to sleep or food to eat, then ultimately, health reform will not be efficient no matter how expansive it is.

Judging by the current state of affordable housing in Chicago, it looks as if we have a long road of advocacy ahead of us.

As more reports come out detailing the cost efficiency of coordinated programs, hopefully this road will be a little easier to travel.

Illinois Poverty News Weekly

2009-09-21T09:48:00.003-05:00

From September 14th to September 21st

Congress Considers Second Unemployment Benefit Extension - Progress Illinois, 9/14/09

Chicago's Rental Housing Shortage - Progress Illinois, 9/15/09

Rent a Big Burden For Half of Chicago Renters - Chicago Sun Times, 9/16/09

Chicago Farmers' Market to Double Value of Food Stamps - Progress Illinois, 9/17/09

LGBTQ Youth Housing Program Launched - Windy City Times, 9/17/09

Food Bank Holds Event to Raise Awareness - 9/18/09

Quad-City Jobless Rate Outpaces Other Iowa Metro Areas - 9/20/09, Quad-City Times

Illinois Self-Sufficiency Standard Released Today

2009-09-16T08:00:00.004-05:00

Today our co-workers at the Social Impact Research Center released a report entitled "Getting By & Getting Ahead: The 2009 Illinois Self-Sufficiency Standard" which coincides with the launch of the innovative new website http://www.ilselfsufficiency.org/. The research is based upon findings from the 2009 Self-Sufficiency Standard, which was prepared cooperatively by the Social Impact Research Center and the University of Washington Center for Women's Welfare.

The report, using the Self-Sufficiency Standard to calculate a bare-bone budget for families of different sizes across Illinois, illustrates how much money a family would need to survive with no assistance, be it public or private.

The results were startling, to say the least.

For example, on average, an Illinois working parent of two has to make $49,030 to meet the family's most basic needs without any public or private assistance. Think that seems like a lot of money? You are not alone, as the report estimates that 1 million non-senior Illinois households make less than $49,030 a year.

This number is not derived from areas in and around Chicago, however, but the entire state. In southwest Randolph, the wage-earner in a family of three would have to earn $16.66 an hour (double the minimum wage) to reach the Self-Sufficiency annual income.

That income was based upon calculating the everyday expenses for a family: Housing, Child Care, Food, Health Care, Transportation, Taxes and Miscellaneous Items (clothing, household items, diapers, telephone service, etc). These expenses were adjusted to reflect the sliding costs for goods in each county.

What's disconcerting is what happens to the families who fall below this threshold - they either apply for public assistance or they cut back on their already depleted budget. Considering that Illinois is woefully underachieving in helping eligible families access public support programs, for many families, this is not a viable option. For the 652,000 households who have an income above the poverty line but below the Self-Sufficiency standard, many forms of income supports are not an option.

For these families, near-impossible decisions must be made.

Do you cut housing costs by moving into more affordable housing, but risk your family's safety since those units are typically in high-crime areas? Or, do you cut back on child care, but then risk losing your job since you'd then have to constantly scramble to find someone to watch your child while you are at work?

Do you buy less food, allowing your family to go hungry, or do you cut down on health care, putting the entire family at risk?

Do you reduce transportation costs, reducing already strained employment options, or do you avoid paying taxes, risking jail time?

Now think of the 680,000 Illinoisans who experience extreme poverty, which is defined as an annual income of half the federal poverty (between $5,500 and $9,000, depending on the size of the family). This population's income falls well over $30,000 short of the Self-Sufficiency Standard. Their decisions don't consist of what everyday necessities to cut, but what, if any, of these necessities they can afford to keep.

Another caveat that makes the economic realities of these families so grave is that the Self-Sufficiency incomes do not factor in accounting for savings, the monthly cost of debt and interest, or the costs associated with an emergency that would immediately drain financial resources.

This leads to more difficult decisions. For example:

Do you pay off your credit card to avoid falling into debt, do you fix your car so you can get to work on time, or do you get the tooth pulled that has been causing you extreme pain?

For a family of three who makes less than $49,030 you simply do none of these things: you don't have the extra finances to afford them anyways.

Unfortunately, there is no right decision in these scenarios; only hard ones. This is why "Getting By & Getting Ahead" will be an extremely useful advocacy tool. It contextualizes the economic struggles that low-income families in Illinois face on a daily basis. The Self-Sufficiency Standard, as opposed to the outdated Federal Poverty Line, is the new benchmark that should be used in shaping future public policy in this state.

So head over to www.ilselfsufficiency.org to access the report as well as a wealth of other valuable resources. You will find educational tools to help inform the public, counseling tools to help inform clients or friends, as well as powerful advocacy tools to educate policymakers and influence legislation.

If you would like someone to come out and present the Self-Sufficiency Standard to your organization, you can contact the author, Amy Terpstra, at research@heartlandalliance.org

New Hunger Awareness Campaign Begins Today

2009-09-14T14:02:00.005-05:00

Feeding Illinois (formerly the Illinois Food Bank Association), a collection of eight food banks located throughout the State launched a new campaign today. The "Snapshot of Hunger Campaign" is being held to promote the annual Hunger Awareness Month. The campaign's goal is to educate the public about the important role that food banks play. It is doing so by asking people to take a picture of 28 dollars worth of food and upload it to their website. 28 dollars isn't an arbitrary number but the amount of money a low-income family of four has to spend on food, for the entire week. Pictures are already being uploaded to the website, which are humbling to say the least. The amount of food that 28 dollars can get you looks like barely enough for two people, let alone four. When you realize that plays out to four dollars a day per person, which is barely enough for one meal at McDonald's, it makes the hard work that Illinois Food Banks put forth on a daily basis all the more magnanimous.

We encourage you to take a look at the website where you can find insightful information about what food banks do, how hunger is impacting different populations throughout Illinois, and ways that you can help make sure that none of your fellow Illinoisans will go hungry in the upcoming year.

This campaign comes at an especially important time, as Governor Quinn is threatening to close 17 Department of Human Service Offices - the same offices that Illinois families go to apply for what can be life-saving Food Stamps. The closure of these offices would surely mean a reduction in Food Stamp program participants, which puts even more pressure on already inundated Food Banks.

Actively participating in and promoting the "Snapshot of Hunger Campaign" is to take a stand against hunger. If you believe that no child or family should go hungry, do your part and support the campaign today.