* From Housing Action Illinois…

What does the stopgap budget mean for efforts to protect and expand affordable housing and end homelessness?

The percentage of funding available in the stopgap budget for each state-funded program to create affordable housing and end homelessness compared to the last year for which there was an actual budget, FY 2015, varies based on the funding source and appropriation levels. See our breakdown of funding levels for programs to create affordable housing and end homelessness in the stopgap budget »

Dedicated funds for affordable housing (e.g., the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund) were generally fully appropriated both for fiscal year 2016 and the fiscal year 2017. Programs that historically have been funded through General Revenue Funds only received partial appropriations for costs incurred during FY 2016 (ending June 30, 2016) and the first half of FY 2017 (ending on December 31, 2016) using funds from the Commitment to Human Services Fund (which is funded through income taxes).

In general, the stopgap budget means:

* Homeless shelters and transitional housing providers for families, single adults and unaccompanied youth will be able to get paid for at least a portion of the work they completed in FY2016 and that they will complete in FY2017.
* Small homelessness prevention grants for families and individuals experiencing a temporary crisis will once again be available.
* State-funded services, such as case management and counseling, in permanent supportive housing for people with mental health issues and/or who were formerly homeless, will start to receive funding again. For some of these programs, the funding will be significantly reduced compared to prior years.
* State-funded housing counseling for people working to avoid foreclosure or purchase a home will be available again.
* Developers of affordable rental units and single-family homes will have access to financing resources, such as the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, that have not been available for the past year.

State-funded service providers with contracts will need to get more information from state agencies, such as the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Housing Development Authority, to determine specific funding amounts for services already provided during FY 2016 and/or to be provided during FY 2017.

A report that we issued less than three months into the year-long state budget impasse demonstrated that people were becoming homeless due to the impasse as most every state-funded agency took one or more of the following actions—limiting intake of new clients; reducing or eliminating services for current clients; staff layoffs, implementing furlough days or reduced work hours for staff; eliminating programs; and/or closing sites.

A subsequent report showed that the funds were available to make these steps unnecessary, but our elected leaders could not come to an agreement to spend the money.

There is a pause in the impasse, but our work is far from over. Stay tuned for future updates and actions.

* I followed up by asking what the “portion” would be. The response…

Hi Rich,

This spreadsheet has a more specific breakdown of the funding for various programs and compares them to other years’ funding levels. It should give a better sense of percentages.

Also, our Policy Director Bob Palmer pointed out that the “65% funding of human services for 18 months” level that most people are using to describe how the stopgap budget funds programs is a simplification: “Especially considering that Governor Rauner’s proposed budget was used as the base level, some programs, like supportive housing services for people who were formerly homeless, are receiving far less than 65% of funding because Governor Rauner had proposed significant cuts to those programs compared to FY15. Some programs, like homeless shelters, whose line item is funded with money from the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, will receive more than 65% funding.”

Hope all of that makes sense. Happy to answer any other questions!

Thanks,
Kristin Ginger
Communications Manager | Housing Action Illinois