In Park Forest, Long Lines For Affordable Housing
We've highlighted proposals, picked through reports, and listened to testimony
from advocates concerned that Illinois has an insufficient number of
affordable housing units. But nothing illustrates the need better than
the scene in south suburban Park Forest yesterday, ...
We've highlighted proposals, picked through reports, and listened to testimony from advocates concerned that Illinois has an insufficient number of affordable housing units. But nothing illustrates the need better than the scene in south suburban Park Forest yesterday, where hundreds of people lined up outside of the police station just to get their names on a federal housing voucher wait-list that has been closed for a decade. Yesterday morning, FOX Chicago sent a reporter out to the rain-soaked lawn where entire families are camped out. "It's almost like the Grapes of Wrath looking at those people," anchor David Navarro gasped. Watch their report:
Talking to the Tribune, Park Forest Mayor John Ostenburg described the line as "sort of an indication of where things are today with the economy." Unfortunately, the problem goes back a long way. As we've noted before, Housing Choice vouchers are one of the most effective tools for pulling people out of poverty and the demand for them has been intensifying for years now. The most stunning evidence of the growing need came back in spring 2008, when the Chicago Housing Authority received more than 250,000 new tenant applications. (A mere 40,000 were lucky enough to make the wait-list.)
After Park Forest took 10 years to clear its 250-person wait-list (last opened in 1999), the SouthtownStar reports that only 50 people will make the cut this time around:
"It's unfair and cruel for families to wait 10 years," [Ernestine Watson, executive director of the Park Forest housing authority] said. "We chose a number that was manageable and reasonable for families to maintain hope."
Unfortunately, the only alternative available to those families that don't make the wait-list will be to wait it out in homeless shelters. It's no wonder advocates like Bob Palmer of Housing Action Illinois tried to greatly expand the number of Housing Choice vouchers paid for under the federal stimulus plan. The bill ultimately didn't include as large an investment as they had hoped for and now we're seeing the consequences.
Comments
Well I'm a sophomore in college and I was one of the many patrons camped out that day. My child and I are not homeless. We do live in subsidized housing, and are blessed to have a beautiful apartment. I camped out that night because I'm a single parent student who needs to be closer to my family to get the support that I need at this time. They accepted 250 applicants and I was # 245. Thank you GOD. This voucher program really does give families the opportunity to build stable lives. However, I think it's ridiculous that they're playing the lottery with people's lives. There should be some other basis to picking qualified applicants. But if I end up receiving a voucher, I will not take it for granted like so many do. This is not something I want to have to be on for the rest of my life. That is why I'm in school, working toward a career so I can be independent.
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