Who is Chicago Coalition for the Homeless?
Grassroots Leaders & Policy Department Law Project Community Organizers Research and develop Provides free legal Experts on specific policy proposals services to youth, homelessness children, families and Use data to make the adults who are homeless Passionate about the case for the need issue 91% of our 551 cases Predict and track the last year were for Worked as a team impact of our proposals students or youth
Strategic about fighting In Chicago and suburbs Background
History Survey Launch Campaign
Housing ● 26% of parents had to stay at a separate Rental Housing Support shelter or house Program. from their children. Education ● 7 out of 10 families Individual clients, local had to stay with a school issues. relative during the past 3 years
Students in Temporary Living Situations Policy The Law Project’s Role: 18,117
Collaborating with clients and 10,624 the Education Committee to secure a comprehensive policy Legal Outreach Monthly meetings with CPS Representation 1987 1992 1994 1996 1999
Federal McKinney Salazar v. Illinois Education Original Motion to Enforce Act first passed Edwards - Class for Homeless settlement of Settlement - creating action suit on Children Act Salazar case Court Order educational rights behalf of passed requiring Liaisons for homeless homeless at every Chicago students students and CPS adopts Public School and parents filed homeless education policy other systemic changes 2000 2001 2005 2007 2015
Second Reauthorization Illinois law Illinois adopts Every Student settlement of amended Equal Opportunity Succeeds Act agreement McKinney-Vento Regulation (ESSA) amends reached McKinney-Vento Act Illinois State Board of Education adopts homeless education policy Client’s Experience Led to Initial Push for Updated CPS Policy
● Athletic eligibility denied to student experiencing homelessness despite right to immediate enrollment, including “full participation in school activities.” ● Definition of immediate enrollment was in 2001 McKinney-Vento Act but not reflected in CPS policy because policy was adopted in 1996 CPS Principals and Staff look to Need for New CPS official policy for guidance Need for authoritative document schools and families could use to Policy: improve compliance
Needed policy with input from parents and students, not website that could be changed How Was the Policy Outdated?
Did not include:
● Definitions of homeless child or youth, unaccompanied youth or enrollment ● Current staff, departments, address, phone numbers, fax numbers, website ● Liaison responsibilities or requirement that each school have a liaison How Did Policy Get Passed?
Power of CCH’s Education Committee - Parents and students coming together to advocate for comprehensive updated Students In Temporary Living Situations Policy that protected students’ rights Marilyn Escoe Education Committee Member Aarti Dhupelia, Chief Officer for College and Career Success Chicago Public Schools How the education committee determined to work on
1. Transportation
2. Fee waivers Marilyn Escoe 3. Enrollment
4. Free uniforms
Marilyn’s personal experience with being denied her rights. The Education Committee Marilyn Escoe testified at 8 Chicago Board of Education Meetings. Education Committee Member We went from a two paragraph proposal to a six page detailed Marilyn Escoe and comprehensive policy. ● Total process took 18 months Updated STLS Policy
● Six pages ● Contains provisions covering the following ○ Immediate enrollment ○ Transportation Assistance ○ Hardship Transportation ○ Fee Waivers, School supplies, Uniforms, Tutoring, Credit Recovery and more ● Can be found here Ashley Allen
Education Committee Member Meeting with Jesse Ruiz of Marilyn Escoe the Chicago Board of Education. Action on the Mayor’s Office The “Walk” with Michael Negron, Policy Marilyn Escoe Director for the City of Chicago Housing Campaign Collaboration ● Key relationship with Policy Director with Mayor’s ● Inside relationship/outside public pressure Office
Mayor Rahm Emanuel Policy Director Michael Negron, receiving CCH award More from the Launch Steering Committee Role Airbnb Ordinance The Fight for Background on Chicago Housing Low-Income Housing Resources Trust Fund The Fight for Pushing the Trust Fund to Focus on Homelessness Housing and this Program:
Resources ● Created “Housing Support for CPS Families in Transition (FIT)” -- 100 units The Fight for Zero Income Issue:
Housing ● Tenants were expected to obtain income after 2 years but Resources often do not meet the deadline ● Convinced them to change their policy, and apply it to this program as well Getting the Mayor’s Serving Office from Doubled-Up NO to YES Families
Doubled-Up Issue in the Press Media Announcement
● Students, parents, and service providers ● City joined us, solidifying their commitments ● Schools are a place where CCH Programming for can meet people who are living Students Experiencing doubled up. ● Created monthly leadership Homelessness in programming with STLS 3 High Schools students ● Student leaders emerged and were interested in sharing their story of how “doubled-up” is Homeless.
Implementation
Austin
Howe Ellington Elementary Elementary
Englewood/West Humboldt Park Englewood
Lowell Ward Elementary Earle Elementary Nicholson Elementary Elementary ● Number of children Examples of ● Age of children and head of household Vulnerability ● Involvement in child welfare system Index Questions ● Family separation ● Mental, physical illness
How to follow the HomeWorks campaign
@ChiHomeWorks
Follow all CCH advocacy: @ChiHomeless https://www.facebook.com/ ChicagoHomeless/