July 27, 2023 – Governor JB Pritzker has signed a measure creating the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness. This bill is intended to move Illinois to “functional zero” homelessness by bolstering the safety net, targeting high-risk populations, expanding affordable housing, securing financial stability for unhoused individuals, and closing the mortality gap.
“Every person deserves access to safe shelter and the dignity that comes with housing,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This is a first-of-its-kind multi-agency cooperative effort — bringing together state agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates, and people with lived experience to prevent and end homelessness. I’m grateful for their dedication and believe that together, we can prevent and end homelessness once and for all.”
The Interagency Task Force and Community Advisory Council work across 17 Illinois state departments and agencies and over 100 processes, programs, and policies to develop a comprehensive plan to combat homelessness. The goal of the plan is to prevent shelter entry and, where unavoidable, ensure that shelter stays are limited and lead to quick transitions into stable living situations.
Nationwide and in Illinois, homelessness disproportionately affects communities of color; Black Illinoisans make up 61% of the state’s unhoused population despite comprising only 14% of the state. Home IL focuses on an equity-based approach that includes the voices and contributions of individuals with lived experiences of homelessness.
Governor Pritzker’s FY24 budget commits almost $360 million for the initiative.
“People experiencing the trauma of housing instability are our neighbors and community members who deserve to be treated with humanity and dignity. With this cooperative effort, Illinois is ensuring our state agencies can continue to collaborate, and that stakeholders are at the table with us, to support our most vulnerable in living healthy, well, and with dignity.” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “Our state is making it clear that we will continue to work together so we can all move forward, and we will focus on holistic strategies that bring us closer to ending homelessness in our state.”
