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Featured
The 2018 Illinois Poverty Update
April 19, 2018Heartland Alliance's Illinois Poverty Update indicates that millions of people in Illinois are experiencing poverty or are on the cusp. Rooted in inequity, poverty prevents people from meeting basic needs, improving their quality of life, and creates barriers to opportunities including quality education, stable employment, affordable housing and safe neighborhoods. The update sheds light on who is most likely to experience poverty in Illinois: Women, people of color, and children have the highest poverty rates.In addition to the Illinois Poverty Update, Heartland Alliance also released state legislative district poverty fact sheets.These releases are the first of a series Heartland Alliance is publishing on poverty in Illinois this year. Local- and county-level data books will be published this summer, and an in-depth exploration of the forces that contribute to gender-based poverty inequity will be released in the fall.
Poverty, Income, & Health Insurance Update: Illinois and Chicago Region (2022)
September 15, 2023Poverty among children more than doubled from 2021 to 2022 (from 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022), according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)1 released by the U.S. Census Bureau. This the largest year-over-year poverty rate increase on record among individuals aged 17 years and younger. Children were hardest hit due, in large part, to the lapse of the Child Tax Credit; however, across all ages gains made from COVID-related assistance in 2021 were lost in 2022. In Illinois, there are over 4 million Illinoisans experiencing poverty, with over 760,000 Illinoisans living in extreme poverty. In 2022 census results, poverty rates for children and communities of color - similar to national trends - remain dramatically higerh than the overall rate.
Illinois and Chicago Region 2021: Poverty, Income and Health Insurance (Fact Sheet)
September 15, 2022Poverty rates increased and household incomes were stagnant inIllinois from 2019 to 2021. This data reflects 2021, when COVID-19 pandemic-related government assistance provided some relief, suggesting that the financial picture is likely much worse today.
Sharing Data Across Systems: Leveraging Homeless Service and Public Workforce Systems Data to Support Jobseekers Experiencing Homelessness
November 30, 2021Employment success and housing stability go hand in hand. Although the public workforce and homeless service systems both serve homeless and unstably housed jobseekers, these systems work in silos in many communities. Collaboration is critical for these two systems to achieve their interrelated goals.One promising systems collaboration strategy is cross-system data sharing. This resource provides an overview of data sharing, explains how it can be used to better understand and meet the needs of workforce and homeless service populations in your community, and lifts up how Chicago and Detroit have successfully operationalized this strategy.
The Fully Free Campaign
June 23, 2021There are hundreds of unique permanent punishment laws in Illinois. These state laws collectively act in ways impacting people's access to housing, education, employment, and other opportunities. The Fully Free Campaign works to end all permanent punishments in Illinois.
Subsidized Jobs for People Experiencing or At-Risk of Homelessness
May 27, 2021This advocacy resource makes the case for why Congress must enact an equity-centered national subsidized employment program as a part of COVID-19 economic recovery legislation, with a special focus on how subsidized employment strategies can benefit jobseekers experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. This resource was produced in partnership among Heartland Alliance, the Center for Law & Social Policy (CLASP), and the National Youth Employment Coalition. Subsidized employment advocates can use this resource to inform visits with elected officials about why subsidized employment must be a part of building back a better, stronger, and more inclusive and equitable economy in the wake of the COVID-19 recession.
Subsidized Employment: A Proven Strategy for Supporting Rapid Economic Recovery
May 13, 2021This advocacy resource makes the case for why Congress must enact an equity-centered national subsidized employment programas a part of COVID-19 economic recovery legislation, as called for in the White House's proposed American Jobs Plan. This resource was produced in partnership among Heartland Alliance, the Center for Law & Social Policy (CLASP), and the National Youth Employment Coalition. Subsidized employment advocates can use this resource to inform visits with elected officials about why subsidized employment must be a part of building back a better, stronger, and more inclusive and equitable economy in the wake of the COVID-19 recession.
Illinois and Chicago Region: Poverty, Income and Health Insurance (Fact Sheet)
September 13, 2018Millions of people in Illinois experience poverty or are living on the brink. That societal position keeps opportunities out of reach and nearly guarantees worse outcomes in every quality of life domain—making ALL of us worse off.This fact sheet on poverty, income, and health insurance coverage in Illinois and the Chicago region, was created using the Census Bureau's release of local American Community Survey data.The poverty rate for the United States was 12.3% in 2017. There were 39.7 million people in poverty nationwide. The poverty rate is not significantly different from the pre-recession level of 12.5% in 2007. In 2017, 1.6 million Illinoisans were in poverty ─ a rate of 12.6%. Additionally, 2.0 million Illinoisans are near poor and economically insecure with incomes between 100% and 199% of the federal poverty threshold.
Support SB3007: The Survivor Support and Trafficking Prevention Act
March 18, 2016Foreign-born victims of trafficking, torture and other serious crimes are eligible to legalize their immigration status and obtain employment authorization but the process may take months or even years. During this time, when a victim is leaving their trafficking situation or seeking safety, they are highly vulnerable to further exploitation and harm.Victims of trafficking, torture and other serious crimes desperately need a safe place to live, adequate food, immediate attention to their physical and mental health needs, and an opportunity to stabilize their lives as they cooperate with law enforcement, adjust their immigration status, and obtain work authorization.
The Heroin Crisis Act: What You Need to Know about the New Law
November 16, 2015The Heroin Crisis Act aims to address the heroin epidemic in Illinois through improved access to treatment and expanded overdose prevention activities. Expanded Medicaid benefits for medications that treat substance use disorders, increased access to Naloxone that prevent overdose, and numerous other provisions represent a big step forward in saving lives and effectively treating addiction. It will take time to implement all the provisions of the law, but stakeholders and public officials are working on it now. This fact sheet breaks down the multifaceted law with a focus on what healthcare providers and those who might be struggling with addiction need to know.
2015 Policy Priorities
March 11, 2015Overview of the 2015 policy priorities for the policy and advocacy team at Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights. Heartland Alliance advocates for policies and programs that help end poverty and create opportunity. A strong and sustainable state budget is central to that effort. We support revenue solutions to advance a sustainable state budget, as well as policies that value work, enable Illinoisans to care for their families, and expand justice and opportunity.
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