HR0986 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0986 LRB102 29393 MST 41385 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Homelessness is a matter of life and death; the scope of the homelessness crisis and the immediate need for housing in Illinois is staggering; and

WHEREAS, In 2020, at least 10,431 Illinoisans experienced homelessness; when the number of people experiencing doubled-up homelessness, living with others because of economic hardship or housing loss, is combined with those who requested services from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over the course of 2020, the count is over 65,000 people experiencing homelessness in Chicago alone; and

WHEREAS, According to Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) data, 47,455 school children were identified as experiencing homelessness in the 2019-2020 school year; and

WHEREAS, Chronic homelessness has increased both in number and percentage; the percentage of the homeless population consisting of chronically homeless rose from 9% in 2016 to 22% in 2020; and

WHEREAS, People experiencing homelessness include those with substance use disorders, HIV/AIDS, serious mental illness, veterans, and survivors of domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people; Black Illinoisans comprise 14% of the population of the State, but they constitute 61% of residents experiencing homelessness; and

WHEREAS, Regions of the State with high concentrations of disabled populations are considered at greater risk for homelessness; and

WHEREAS, People experiencing unsheltered homelessness may become frequent utilizers of hospital emergency rooms; encampments, tents, cars, abandoned buildings, and park benches, are unsafe, unhealthy, and undignified, and unsheltered homelessness is especially dangerous during cold weather, heat waves, and extreme weather conditions; and

WHEREAS, Crisis housing, the foundational safety net for persons in immediate need of shelter, includes overnight emergency and domestic violence shelters, transitional housing, recuperative care/medical respite, and recovery homes; and

WHEREAS, During COVID-19, shelter capacity diminished significantly, and many areas across Illinois lack any fixed-site emergency shelters for people who are experiencing homelessness; prior to the pandemic, a significant proportion of emergency shelter bed capacity included rotating, congregate shelter; non-congregate shelter (NCS) became necessary to protect highly vulnerable people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic; the rotating shelter model, which has never been adequate for many reasons, no longer exists, and significant investment would be required to rebuild it; and

WHEREAS, Emergency housing provided through converted hotels, dorms, and schools and the construction of new non-congregate emergency housing is not expected to eliminate the need for other types of crisis housing; and

WHEREAS, Crisis housing is a critical part of and the gateway to the continuum of housing, including affordable and permanent supportive housing; Illinois lacks sufficient crisis housing to meet its needs, allowing many people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to languish for months and even years until other housing options become available; there is an urgent need for effective, safe, and dignified non-congregate crisis housing; and

WHEREAS, A model of rapid-response transitional shelter villages with case management has emerged; this model of transitional housing can serve as a bridge from unsheltered homelessness to long-term housing; the faster people are moved off the street, the sooner their path to stability can begin; and

WHEREAS, Residents of these transitional shelter villages are connected to housing with wraparound social services, such as mental health care from a local service provider and on-site amenities, such as showers and laundry; with a safe place to sleep, a supportive environment, access to meals, hygiene facilities, and a case manager, residents can focus on finding permanent housing and employment opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Transitional shelter villages combine the safety of private units with the benefits of a communal environment to offer residents security and a pathway to stability; residents can lock their belongings in their unit, access on-site social services, and be a part of a community; and

WHEREAS, At least nine other states across the country have successfully launched dozens of rapid-response transitional shelter villages and have achieved successful outcomes; transitional shelter villages have been launched in cold weather climates, including Madison, Wisconsin and Boston, Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, This model is more cost-effective than any institutional setting per person or unit and can be built at a fraction of the cost of traditional homeless shelters, which can take years to build; prefabricated shelters can be quickly installed and are proven to help people transition into permanent housing; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the State of Illinois to launch a pilot project to establish a transitional shelter village that will support the crisis housing and health needs of people currently experiencing unsheltered homelessness; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate President, the Senate Minority Leader, the Governor, and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services.