The drive to zero is in reverse.
On Aug. 1, 2023, I noted Gov. JB Pritzker’s bold prediction to bring homelessness in Illinois to “functional zero.”
“For those who don’t know and who may be listening,” Pritzker said at a Chicago bill signing, “it’s a measurable metric of success that reduces homelessness to something that’s brief and rare and nonrecurring.”
The phrase “measurable metric of success” stood out as requiring a degree of [hopefully earned] confidence to essentially say: “I’m setting a standard, hold me accountable.”
Which brings us to a July 5 Capitol News Illinois headline: “Housing funding cut in Illinois budget as homelessness increases.”
In 2021, Pritzker signed an executive order creating the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness to centralize programs across 17 departments and agencies. The fiscal 2023 budget included $350 million for homeless services, up $85.3 million from fiscal 2022, when emergency shelters turned away 9,800 people.
In 2023, officials estimated that 4,500 people in Illinois were without a home each evening. The wait time to get housing services averaged 802 days.
But last October, a Department of Human Services task force showed Illinois counted 25,787 people during its annual “point in time” one-day survey in January 2024. The agency said that the total represented a 116% increase from 2023. Which means a goal functional zero is even further away than when Pritzker signed House Bill 2831 nearly two years ago.
In proposing the fiscal 2026 budget, Pritzker suggested spending $7.6 million less on housing programs. Lawmakers actually cut $14.6 million. The Court-Based Rental Assistance Program, which helps people facing evictions, is down $25 million.
“The state is trying to do the best it can with limited resources,” Housing Action Illinois Policy Director Bob Palmer told CNI. And despite some statistics and other quotes that spotlight minor successes, Palmer also bluntly summarized the entire issue:
“If we’re taking the plan to prevent and end homelessness in Illinois seriously, we need to be providing the increased resources to eliminate that shortage … otherwise we’re just managing homelessness at its current level.”
It would’ve been wrong to expect a strictly linear progression. There wasn’t a clear-cut deadline. Pritzker still wants another term as governor, so if he’s looking for “the job isn’t done” talking points, this challenge is a fine starting point.
As I’ve noted frequently, each person experiencing homelessness has their own story and circumstances, which complicates attempts at systemic solutions. But when an administration says “functional zero,” it does so with an understanding of the uphill climb it faces by choice.
The governor sought accountability. When even standing still means going backwards, advocates are justified in demanding that Democrats follow through on commitments.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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