>> THANKS.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT'S 2022
BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES MONEY
FOR CITY'S HOMELESS WITH FUNDING
COMING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE
PLAN FEDERAL PACKAGE.
THE EFFORT WOULD INCLUDE UP TO
214 MILLION IN HOUSING
ASSISTANCE.
AND TONIGHT AS PART OF OUR
LIVING IN POVERTY SERIES WE LOOK
HOW THAT MONEY WOULD BE
ALLOCATED.
JOINING US IS DOUG SCHENKELBERG,
WHO IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
CHICAGO COALITION FOR THE
HOMELESS.
WE INVITED A REPRESENTATIVE FROM
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE BUT THEY WERE
UNAVAILABLE.
DOUG, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING
HERE WITH US.
>> HAPPY TO BE HERE.
>> SO YOUR REACTION TO THE $214
MILLION DOLLAR NUMBER OUT OF THE
BUDGET TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS?
>> SO WE ALONG WITH OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS AND ALDERMEN WERE
ADVOCATING FOR PART OF THE MIRNL
RESCUE FLAN AND A HOST OF
COMMUNITY MEETING WE THOUGHT IT
WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO TO
SUPPORT COMMUNITIES AND ADDRESS
THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS IN
CHICAGO.
THERE'S ROUGHLY 58,000 PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN
CITY PEOPLE ON THE STREET AND IN
THE SHELTER SYSTEM AND DOUBLED
UP AND THAT NUMBER WAS BEFORE
THE PANDEMIC HIT.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE THAT THAT
ADVOCACY RESULTED IN A
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FUNDING
TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS THROUGH
AFFORDABLE HOUSING SERVICES.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK IF YOU
COULD GIVE US A RUNDOWN WHAT
PROGRAMS THE MONEY GOES TO?
>> THE LINE ITEMS INCLUDE MONEY
FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
WHICH IS LONG-TERM HOUSING WITH
SERVICES TO ADDRESS PEOPLE'S
NEEDS WHEN THEY ARE COMING OUT
OF HOMELESSNESS AND THIS IS BOTH
FOR THE TRADITIONAL SUPPORT
HOUSING AND CONVERTING UNUSED
HOTELS FOR HOUSING.
AND $20 MILLION IN SHORT-TERM
RENTAL SUBSIDIES THAT MOVE
PEOPLE INTO SHORT-TERM HOUSING
UNTIL THEY CAN MOVE INTO
PERMANENT HOUSING.
MONEY TO INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE
OUR SHELTER SYSTEM
NON-CONGREGATE SETTINGS MONEY
FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES
AND MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR TO
ADDRESS GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
WHICH INCLUDES ADDRESSING
HOUSING AND SERVICES.
THERE IS A VARIETY OF ASPECTS.
>> A LOT OF PROGRAMS.
LET'S HEAR WHAT IN MAYOR
LIGHTFOOT SAID AND HOW IT
RELATES TO VIOLENCE IN THE CITY.
>> IN ADDITION TO VIOLENCE
PREVENTION, THIS BUDGET ALSO
PRIORITIZES HOMELESSNESS,
AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH NEW
DOLLARS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF
CHICAGO'S MOST VULNERABLE
RESIDENTS.
AND FIRST, WE WILL INCREASE
FUNDING FOR HOMELESSNESS
PREVENTION BY 36% INFUSING 5
MILLION INTO THE HOUSING POOL TO
HELP HOMELESS WHO USE EMERGENCY
ROOMS AND SHELTERS AND CONNECT
THEM WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSE.
>> THERE IS A BOOST BECAUSE OF
THE FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY THAT
CAME IN.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT FEW
YEARS WHEN THERE ARE NO FEDERAL
DOLLARS LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN THE
LAST COUPLE YEARS?
>> THAT'S EXACTLY THE QUESTION
TO BE ASKING AND WHILE WE'RE
ENCOURAGED BY THE USE OF THE
FUNDING FOR THE YEAR 2022 BUDGET
WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING
FOR LONG-TERM DEDICATED FUNDING
TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS FOR A
COUPLE YEARS.
SO WE THINK THIS INITIAL
INVESTMENT CAN BE A SPRINGBOARD
TO CONTINUING THAT INVESTMENT
THROUGH A LONG-TERM FUNDING
STREAM THAT CANNOT ONLY SUSTAIN
IT BUT INCREASE IT OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL YEARS INTO AND YOU
MENTIONED THE CITY'S HOMELESS
POPULATION IS NORTH OF 58,000
NOW BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK A PACKAGE
LIKE THIS COULD BRING THAT
NUMBER DOWN AND GET PEOPLE INTO
HOUSING?
>> WHAT THE MAYOR PROPOSED IN
THE BUDGET OUR ESTIMATE IS
BETWEEN SHORT-TERM RENTAL
SUBSIDIES AND PERMANENT HOUSING
DOLLARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT
BETWEEN 1500 TO 1800 PEOPLE
HOUSED WITH THIS FUNDING.
WHICH IS A START.
BUT IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH GIVEN
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
AND THE CHICAGO HOME CAMPAIGN
AND THE LONG-TERM FUNDING STREAM
CAN SERVE 45,000 PEOPLE OVER A
10-YEAR PERIOD.
THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT IS A
GREAT START BUT WE NEED MONEY
OVER THE LONG-TERM TO ADDRESS
THE PROBLEM.
>> IT SOUNDS LOOK A SMALL
PERCENTAGE OF THE HOMELESS
POPULATION IN THE CITY OF
CHICAGO.
IDEALLY WHAT COULD BRING THAT
NUMBER DOWN EVEN FURTHER?
WHAT DOES THE CITY NEED TO DO?
>> THE CITY NEEDS TO USE ITS
ABILITY TO CHANGE ONE TAX SET
THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX A
TAX PAID WHEN PROPERTIES ARE
BOUGHT AND SOLD IN THE CITY OF
CHICAGO.
AND TAKE IT FROM A FLAT TAX
THROUGH PROGRESSIVE TAX.
WE'RE PROPOSING A CHANGE THAT
WOULD INCREASE THE TAX ON
PROPERTIES SOLD OVER $1 MILLION.
AND THE MAYOR BACKED THAT PLAN
AS A CANDIDATE AND BACKED AWAY
FROM IT WHEN SHE BECAME MAYOR.
OUR HOPE IS SHE WOULD GET BACK
ONBOARD AND YOU CAN GENERATE
CLOSE TO $100 MILLION IN NEW
REVENUE EACH YEAR AND THAT CAN
ALL BE PUT TOWARDS ADDRESSING
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
>> CERTAINLY BEEN A TUG OF WAR
ON THE DEBATE OVER THAT TAX.
THIS BUDGET INCLUDED $31 MILLION
FOR A UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
PILOT PROGRAM FOR SOME OF
CHICAGO'S NEEDIEST FAMILIES.
YOUR REACTION TO THAT AND HOW
THAT MIGHT CONNECT WITH THE
ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS?
>> IT'S CRITICAL.
I ALAUD ALDERMAN VILLEGAS FOR
CHAMPIONING THAT ISSUE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO
PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH BASIC
FLEXIBLE INCOME TO PROVIDE A
FOUNDATION FOR WHATEVER NEED
THEY HAVE.
WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT THE PROGRAMS
IT'S NOT FOCUSING ON ONE TYPE OF
SPEND TO GO GIVES PEOPLE
FLEXIBILITY.
AND FOR SOMEONE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS THAT WOULD ALLOW
THEM TO ADDRESS UTILITIES AND
BASIC NEEDS IN THEIR LIVES.
NOT ONLY IS HOUSING CRITICAL AND
HAVING CASH TO ADDRESS ALL THE
NEEDS.
WE HOPE THE PILOT IS SUCCESSFUL
AND USE SOLID BEST PRACTICES.
>> WE'LL WATCH TO SEE HOW THAT
GOES.