|
Housing Update and Alert
Kathy Kregor
Legislative Advocacy Committee
The Source of Income Amendment HB 45 will not be voted on this session. There was not enough support or time to pass it out of the House. Thank you for your advocacy on this piece of legislation.
The Rental Housing Support Program has passed in both houses.
We are now working to ensure Governor Rod Blagojevich signs the bill so it becomes law.
Problem: Tens of thousands of low-income Illinois residents are facing difficulties finding a decent place to live. As of 2003, there were more than 77,000 households on waiting lists for public housing units and more than 56,000 households on waiting lists for federal rental subsidies.
Solution: The Rental Housing Support Program SB 75 creates a state-funded rental subsidy program. We estimate that the program will provide $30 million annually in rental subsidies to 5,500 extremely low-income individuals and families throughout Illinois. The rent subsidies will make housing affordable for people earning, on average, less that $19,000 per year, many of who are at great risk of becoming homeless.
Funding for this crucial rent subsidy program does not place any additional burden on the State of Illinois budget. All of the funding for the program comes from a $10 additional fee for the filing of real estate documents. One dollar of each fee will go to county government budgets and to county Recorders of Deeds to pay for any administrative costs related to the collecting the fee.
Action Needed:
Send Governor Blagojevich a letter urging him to sign Senate Bill 75 into law!
A sample letter follows or you may access a letter to send by email at HousingMatters.net
Deadline for responding: Please take action by June 15, 2005.
Dear Governor,
I am writing to urge you to sign Senate Bill 75, creating the Rental Housing Support Program and directly benefiting approximately 5,500 extremely low-income households across Illinois. SB75 passed both the Illinois House and Senate by large margins with bipartisan support.
Funding for this crucial rent subsidy program does not place any additional burden on the State of Illinois budget. All of the funding for the program comes from a $10 additional fee for the filing of real estate documents. One dollar of each fee will go to county government budgets and to county Recorders of Deeds to pay for any administrative costs related to the collecting the fee.
The Rental Housing Support Program will generate about $30 million annually for rent subsidies to individuals and families that earn less than 30 percent of their local area median income. Across much of Illinois, that translates to a family of 4 trying to live on $19,000 a year.
I am asking for you to sign the bill at a time when tens of thousands of low-income Illinois residents are facing difficulties finding a decent place to live. As of 2003, there were more than 77,000 households on waiting lists for public housing units and more than 56,000 households on waiting lists for federal rental subsidies.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in Illinois, an extremely low-income household (earning approximately $19,000 per year, 30% of the state median income in 2004) can afford monthly rent of no more than $491, while the average Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom unit is $803. A minimum wage earner (earning $6.50 per hour) can afford monthly rent of no more than $338. Furthermore, an SSI recipient (receiving $564 monthly) can afford monthly rent of no more than $169, while the Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom unit is $696.
Sincerely,
Your name and address here
Deadline for responding: Please take action by June 15, 2005.
Based on an alert from Bob Palmer at Housing Matters.
| 
