Chicago City Wire

Illinois Housing Development Authority issued the following announcement on July 15.

In partnership with Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) today announced the launch of the Re-Entry Rental Housing Support Demonstration Program, an interagency initiative designed to meet the housing needs of individuals exiting IDOC facilities. Under the new program, IHDA has entered into funding agreements with four local administering agencies (LAA) who will deploy $3 million in grant funding over 3 years to support housing placement and ongoing rental subsidies for 75 eligible participants specifically referred by IDOC's new Reentry Division. With the launch of the program, the IDOC may begin making referrals to the participating LAAs to connect individuals with available rental units in their community.

"The Re-Entry Demonstration Program is a vital pilot initiative that can serve as a model for what our state can do to advance equity-focused programs that support our citizens as they transition back to their communities from the Department of Corrections," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "Providing housing is essential in facilitating successful reentry and breaking the cycle of recidivism."

Individuals eligible for IDOC referral to the Re-Entry Rental Housing Support Demonstration Program are seniors (ages 55 and over), those with disabilities, and those ages 35 and over with additional consideration given to individuals who have completed or enrolled in post-secondary educational programming. Potential participants will have also completed in-depth pre-release programming. After the referrals, participating LAAs will coordinate with local landlords to secure stable housing and will administer rental assistance payments for tenants who will be released on parole directly into a Re-Entry program apartment. The rental assistance provided will cover the difference in the reasonable rent for the unit and the tenant's contribution, which will be based on a percentage of household income. Tenants will also have access to physical and mental health services, employment services, life skills training and other services provided via existing partnerships between LAAs and local providers to enhance tenants' successful reentry into the community.

IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust said, "Stable housing is an essential element of successful reentry that helps returning individuals find employment, reduce recidivism and achieve a better quality of life, and we look forward to working with the IDOC to ensure the success of this program."

The Re-Entry program was developed under guidance from the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative led by the Lt. Governor's office. Through coordination across state agencies and advocates, the program aims to support positive reentry outcomes to reduce recidivism by helping formerly incarcerated individuals find and maintain stable housing. The rental assistance under this pilot initiative is funded through the state's Rental Housing Support program, which receives its funding from a real estate document recording fee collected at the county level. An additional grant, secured on behalf of the program by New York University (NYU), will support the provision of basic housewares and home furnishings for program participants. Program partners are also actively pursuing philanthropic support for data analysis and an evaluation of program efficacy by measuring outcomes of individuals who are connected to housing and services.

 

"Roughly 28,000 individuals leave IDOC each year and having safe and stable housing is an important contributor to a successful re-entry. This program serves as a critical, additional resource in ensuring the housing stability of justice-involved individuals and represents a key interagency partnership in the State of Illinois," said IDOC Acting Director Rob Jeffreys.

The Re-Entry Rental Housing Support Demonstration Program LAAs along with their grant award amounts and the number of supported units are listed below:

•  Housing Choice Partners of Illinois: $1,179,367 will support 20 units in suburban Cook County.
•  Winnebago County Housing Authority: $830,413 will support 30 units in Winnebago, Boone and Stephenson Counties.
•  Housing Authority of Champaign County: $487,674 will support 15 units in Champaign County.
•  Community Partners for Affordable Housing: $414,642 will support 10 units in Lake County.

Original source can be found here.