Housing Committee: People Facing Barriers to Housing Hearing
Illinois General AssemblyLocation unavailable
This is a remote assignment. You can access the meeting livestream at https://ilga.gov/houseaudvid.asp.
This is the third of three hearings held by the Illinois House of Representatives on how American Rescue Plan funds can be used to address barriers to housing and homeownership. At this hearing, the discussion will center on returning citizens, people with disabilities, refugees and others facing housing exclusions.
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Returning citizens, Refugees, People with disabilities
Cathleen from Access Living (https://bit.ly/3D8uMxh) speaks about housing access for disabled people. They say that disabled people are overrepresented in the groups previously discusses, and are more vulnerable to covid.
According to Cathleen, people with disabilities often have to choose between affordability and accessibility.
Less than 5% of housing nationally and 1% of housing in Chicago is accessible. They say new units don’t always have to be created. Instead, modifications can be made.
Cathleen says all the previously recommended programs contain barriers for people with disabilities. They propose hiring housing locators that can find accessible housing, and increasing the accessibility of the shelter system.
The last speaker is Jose Sanchez, from Humboldt Park Health (https://bit.ly/31dkSx1). Sanchez asks for consideration of ARP funding for his organization’s housing project.
More information on the American Rescue Project (ARP) can be found here: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/home-arp#:~:text=The%20American%20Rescue%20Plan%20%28ARP%29%20provides%20%245%20billion,homelessness%20and%20increase%20housing%20stability%20across%20the%20country
The next hearing in front of this committee will be in 2022, possibly with the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Agency Information
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818.