*** UPDATE 1 *** The actual question, which you can hear at about the 5:30 mark below, was about several different topics, not just the homeless shelter, and was actually a follow-up to a question about whether Rauner had a fall-back plan in case the GA didn’t pass a real budget…
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless…
Hey, Rich.
Just a note on the Northside homeless shelter. As we understand it, it wasn’t necessarily the lack of state money that forced Northside to announce they needed to close the program. It was more driven by the city having too low of a per bed rate for providers. The city has level funded the shelters since 2012. The city gets the money that comes from the Emergency and Transitional Housing line item in the state budget. The city then contracts with Chicago providers. Chicago has been covering the state’s portion of the funding since the budget crisis set in. Back in the summer, the city had told Northside that if the state budget mess didn’t get fixed that they would not be issuing contracts for 2017.
None of this is to say the state budget doesn’t play a huge factor. There is a $100k budget deficit for the program, but that is a structural deficit and it doesn’t necessarily correlate to the state’s portion. So, while theoretically, they could raise $100k to fill the whole, they don’t have confidence they can do that in a sustainable fashion that won’t undermine the rest of the work they do.
Some advocates (not us) have oversimplified the message to it being a $100k hole created by Rauner. There is truth in there, but, like everything, it is more complicated. All that being said, showing up to feed the homeless at the same building this program is slated to shut down was terrible planning on Rauner (and the Food Depository’s) part. And Rauner’s response was even worse. I’m not giving him a pass at all.
Just thought you might want some additional background. If you have questions, let me know.
Doug
Doug Schenkelberg
Executive Director
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
*** UPDATE 3 *** A person representing a wealthy Chicagoan (Democrat) did reach out to the shelter and was told this…
We have been operating the program at a deficit for several years now. We approached the city for additional funding for over a year now but they were not able to provide the additional $100,000 needed each year to balance the program’s budget. We made the announcement about the closing late summer and at this point don’t even have a contract for next year. We’ve already removed most of our equipment and furniture and have about 14 residents remaining.
Unfortunately the shelter will be closing in the next week or so. I do appreciate you reaching out however and wish I had better news for you.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* NBC 5…
A group of advocates for homeless residents of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood are blaming the state’s lingering budget impasse for the impending closure of a homeless shelter that’s set to shutter just before the holidays.
The group, which consists of homeless residents, community organizers and clergy, claimed the state’s inability to come up with $100,000 to fund the North Side Housing & Supportive Services shelter is directly tied to the ongoing budget stalemate in Springfield, faulting Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan. […]
Rauner responded to concerns about the state’s precarious economic situation and the shelter’s funding during a Monday press conference.
“Change is hard,” Rauner said. “We didn’t get into the mess we’re in in a few years, we got here over the last 35 years. So changing the structure takes a little time. I’m frustrated. I’m not the most patient person in the state, but I’m very persistent.”
“We have to do the right thing for the long term,” he added.
* On the day before he was inaugurated governor, Rauner and his wife showed up at the building that houses the shelter, which provides 72 beds for men with 24-hour access, 365 days a year, to help feed the homeless…
Those two piles of mats stacked behind Mrs. Rauner are apparently used by the homeless men as beds.
Somebody needs to pony up that $100,000. And soon.
