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Heartland Alliance is pleased to announce the release of its 2008 Report
on Illinois Poverty.
The 2008 Report on Illinois Poverty showcases how Illinois families struggle to achieve or maintain
economic stability. Negative economic shifts including stagnating wages
and rising costs have taken their toll on people across Illinois,
hitting those with the least to start with the hardest.
The report finds that poverty continues to cast a pall on Illinois'
economic future. Statewide, poverty increased in 74 of Illinois' 102
counties. It now afflicts more than 1.5 million Illinoisans,
representing a population large enough to rank as the nation's
fifth-largest city. Nearly 250,000 additional Illinoisans have succumbed
to poverty since 1999, a 19 percent increase.
The Chicago Area Snapshot, a supplement to the state report, finds that during a period when
they were widely thought to have flourished economically, the Chicago
suburbs have recorded dramatic increases in poverty over the past 25
years. The suburban counties now account for 41.5% of the region's poor
population, up from 23.9% in 1980.
But there is hope. There is a movement stirring throughout the country
to act now to address poverty. With this momentum building and new
collective efforts in Illinois, we can eliminate the poverty that
deprives people of their human rights. Throughout the report are
recommendations, or
Opportunities for Change, that together can help us make strong, safe, and stable communities across Illinois that are poverty free.
To look for in the
2008 Report on Illinois Poverty:
- A Spotlight Section on Challenges to Women's Economic
Well-Being that highlights how being paid less at work, child rearing
and care giving responsibilities, and a smaller retirement cushion all
contribute to women being disproportionately impacted by poverty.
- An appendix full of county-level information on poverty,
income, housing, health, and education.
- A new appendix table with poverty and income information for
Illinois congressional districts.
Click on the links below to download the report and related items:
Media Coverage
The 2008 Report on Illinois Poverty has garnered significant media
coverage from around the state. With the media helping to shine a
spotlight on poverty and hardship, along with the voices of advocates
and concerned Illinoisans, it is our hope that policy makers at all
levels will listen and make concerted efforts to address poverty in our
communities.
Click the links below to sample initial coverage of the 2008 Report on
Illinois Poverty:
Heartland Alliance 2008 Policy Priorities:
Update
Support solutions that reduce poverty
- Establish Commission on the Elimination of Poverty -
HB 4369 would create the
Commission on
the Elimination of Poverty to develop a strategy to cut extreme poverty
in Illinois in half by 2015. An allocation of $450,000 is needed to
staff the commission and fund the development of the strategy.
HB 4369 passed the House
unanimously
and awaits committee assignment in the Senate. General Assembly members
are being urged to include $450,000 in the FY09 budget to support the
activities of the Commission.
Improve access to health and mental health services
- Increase appropriations for school health centers - An
additional $3 million is needed within the Department of Human Services
budget to support new and existing school health centers across
Illinois. The Governor's proposed FY09 budget includes $3 million for
school health centers.
Invest in the success of Illinois' youngest residents
- Create an Illinois Commission on Children and Youth -
HB 4456 would establish the
Commission
to serve as a coordinating body of key public and private stakeholders
to develop a strategic plan to advise state planning, priority setting,
and investments of resources for children and youth.
HB 4456 passed the House with
strong
bipartisan support and now awaits committee assignment in the Senate.
Members of the General Assembly are being urged to include $100,000 in
the FY09 final budget to support the activities of the Commission.
Expand programs that support workers
- Improve access to income supports for low-income workers -
HB
4573 would strengthen local
service
delivery for Food Stamps, medical, and cash assistance by allowing
clients to select the office that is most accessible to them for
applications and ongoing case management.
HB 4573 passed the House
unanimously
and awaits committee assignment in the Senate.
- Expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit -
SB 12 would double the amount of
the state Earned Income Tax Credit to give working households a much needed
tax break and provide economic stimulus in the short term.
SB 12 passed the Senate in 2007 and has since been held in the House Rules Committee.
Invest in effective strategies for vulnerable populations
- Expand supportive housing services - An additional $4 million
is needed for the Supportive Housing Program within the Department of
Human Services to fund services for new supportive housing units. The
Governor's FY09 budget proposal includes $4 million for Supportive
Housing.
- Increase cash assistance for families utilizing Temporary Aid
to Needy Families (TANF) -
HB 4513 would provide a needed
15% increase to cash assistance provided to households that are part of the
TANF program.
HB 4513 was voted unanimously out of committee and awaits a full vote in the House.
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