Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

If #SCOTUS rules in favor of Grants Pass, it will authorize cities and states to punish people experiencing street homelessness with arrest and steep fines -- even when they have nowhere else to go. This ruling would make homelessness worse and punish people for existing in public spaces. Research shows that criminalizing homelessness is ineffective, wastes taxpayer money, keeps people homeless for longer, and distracts from real solutions like housing and supportive services. SCOTUS ruling in favor of Grants Pass would indicate a preference for pretending that we can make homelessness invisible, instead of prioritizing safe, dignified #housingforall. Learn more about the case here: johnsonvgrantspass.com #JohnsonVGrantsPass #advocacy #EndHomelessness

Did you know? Since 1997, the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless has provided legal representation to students, unaccompanied youth, families, and adults living #doubledup, in shelters, or on the street. Today, we remain the only #legalaid program in Illinois solely dedicated to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Want to get involved? You can support the critical work of the Law Project by joining our Justice Circle, which is comprised of members of the legal community and others who financially support the Law Project’s #legalassistance, #advocacy, and #communityoutreach. Justice Circle members are invited to attend our first in-person celebration since 2019! Join us on Thursday, May 9, 5 - 7 P.M. at Baker McKenzie, 300 East Randolph, Suite 5000, Chicago, IL 60601. You may RSVP when you make your donation, or by contacting Michael Nameche at michael@chicagohomeless.org. To become a member or to renew your membership, visit: https://lnkd.in/d95QTJSG.

Brian Rodgers, a CCH grassroots leader, recently spoke to the Chicago Defender about how he got involved in community organizing. After working with a CCH reentry organizer, Brian realized that incarceration, poverty, and homelessness were all connected. “The light bulb just finally clicked to say, ‘Hey, you haven’t had a place to stay. Have you ever thought about all the times you went back to doing what you were doing or felt the pressures of having to find somewhere to stay to get on your feet and everything, that you were making these hasty decisions?'” Brian said. "It’s because you didn’t have the opportunity to have stable housing." Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3UvQTJY #EndHomelessness #HousingIsAHumanRight #reentry #communityorganizing #advocacy

What is the One System Initiative, and what does it have to do with #homelessness in Chicago? The One System Initiative is a plan to combine the city's existing shelter system with its system for migrants and new arrivals. Sam Paler-Ponce, CCH's Interim Associate Director of Policy, told the Chicago Tribune that combining the systems is a "move in the right direction." Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/49X1pOO #Chicago #EndHomelessness #OneSystemInitiative

The Edrika Fulford Mutual Aid Fund is reopening next Wednesday! 300 applications will be accepted beginning May 1st at 11 A.M. Applications can be completed online or over the phone. One application should be submitted per household—multiple applications from the same household will be disqualified. All applications submitted will be subject to a lottery and a review process. Please note that submission of an application is NOT a guarantee of funding. Phone applications can be submitted 11 A.M. – 2 P.M. on business days until the application cap is reached. Internet applications can be submitted at any time while the fund is open. Link to application: chicagohomeless.org/MAF Phone: (312) 641-4148 Email: mutualaid@chicagohomeless.org ------------- ¡Nuestro programa de asistencia mutua se abra de nuevo el próximo miércoles! Aceptaramos 300 solicitudes a partir del 1 de mayo a las 11 A.M. Se puede llenar la solicitud por teléfono o por nuestro sitio de web. La solicitud estará disponible en español. Limíte de 1 solicitud por hogar. Todas las solicitudes serán organizados en una lotería y luego estarán revisados por un comité. La linea de teléfono estará abierta 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. en dias laborales hasta se alcanze el límite máximo de solictudes. Enlace de solicitud: chicagohomeless.org/MAF Numero de teléfono: (312) 641-4148 Correo electrónico: mutualaid@chicagohomeless.org #MutualAid #Community #EndHomelessness #AsistenciaMutua #FondosDeAsistencia

Coming to you live from Washington, D.C.! Today, the #SupremeCourt will hear oral arguments in the case of #JohnsonVGrantsPass. CCH is here at the #HousingNotHandcuffs rally in front of the Supreme Court, because we know people shouldn't be punished for experiencing homelessness. Click here to listen to a livestream of the oral arguments: https://bit.ly/3QcI5Gi #HousingIsAHumanRight #EndHomelessness #advocacy #SCOTUS

News from Springfield: This week, three of the bills on CCH's #legislativeagenda were passed in the #Illinois House of Representatives and are moving to the Senate! A quick recap of our bills: 📃 HB 5407 would allow the State to better support the 58,000 students in Illinois who are experiencing homelessness. 📃 HB 5564 would let service providers use more of their annual funding on case management and administrative costs, to better assist families with the housing support that they need. 📃 HB 4768 would protect tenants from evictions and other forms of landlord retaliation if they report unsafe living conditions. Thank you Rep. Michelle Mussman, Rep. Lilian Jiménez, and Rep. Will Guzzardi for your #advocacy! Read more about CCH's 2024 legislative agenda here: https://lnkd.in/gNtpRchX #statepolicy #EndHomelessness

Every January, volunteers in cities across the country count how many people they see living on the street. Called the #PointInTimeCount, this method is mandated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and it determines federal and local funding for homelessness programs across the country -- even though it paints an incomplete picture of #homelessness in our communities. "In Chicago, for every one person reported as homeless in the city Point-In-Time count, nine more people accessed homeless services throughout the year," Sam Paler-Ponce, Interim Associate Director of Policy, told the Temple University Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting. Listen to the podcast here: https://bit.ly/3Q4a37d #PointInTime #EndHomelessness #Advocacy

📣 Mark your calendars: The Edrika Fulford #MutualAid Fund is reopening! The application will open Wednesday, May 1st at 11 A.M. and will close once the 300-application cap has been reached. One-time emergency grants of $500 will be given to 100 individuals or families experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. This includes individuals or families who are living in shelters, living outside, or temporarily staying with family and friends. The application is short, low-barrier, and simple to access. For more information, visit: https://lnkd.in/gFJY85eU --------- 📣 ¡Nuestro programa de #asistenciamutua se abra de nuevo! Se abre la solicitud el 1 de mayo a las 11 A.M. y cierra cuando se alcanze el límite máximo de 300 solicitudes. Fondos de emergencia de $500 estarán disponibles a 100 personas o familias que no tengan techo o que están pasando por inseguridad de vivienda. Incluidos en esta definicion son individuos viviendo en la calle, quedándose en un albergue, o que están viviendo temporariamente con familia o amigos. La solicitud es corta y está diseñada para ser fácil y accesible a todos. Para más información, visite: https://lnkd.in/gFJY85eU #Community #Support #EndHomelessness #FondosDeAsistencia

There's less than a month left to apply for our #scholarship program! Do you know any college-bound students who have experienced #homelessness? CCH is awarding $4,000 renewable college scholarships to at least five high school seniors who succeeded in school while experiencing #homelessness. Applications are still available -- now through May 10! To learn more about our Scholarship Program or to apply, click here: https://lnkd.in/dAWZWPUv. #Chicago #scholarships #college #students #HousingIsAHumanRight #EndHomelessness