Recession To Push 400,000+ Illinoisians Into Poverty

As many as 405,000 more Illinoisans are likely to have been pushed into poverty as a result of the recession, according to a new report today by Heartland Alliance Mid-America Institute on Poverty.

The 2009 Report on Illinois Poverty - the only annual comprehensive analysis of poverty indicators in the state - notes that nearly 1.5 million state residents were already living in poverty way before the recession began.

More on the study and news coverage after the jump...


Click here for more!


The projected increase, based on expectations that national unemployment will reach 9 percent this year, would represent a 27 percent bump in the number of people living in poverty over the past two years.

In the Chicago area, as many as 253,000 more residents - 87,000 of them children - are expected to go into poverty.

The new report also assess the well-being of each of Illinois 102 counties and assigns them to a "Poverty Warning or Watch List". The report found that poverty worsened in many areas of the state before the recent economic crisis, increasing in 58 counties. A total of 24 counties were placed on the Poverty Warning List and 46 counties appeared on the Poverty Watch List.

Media outlets from around the state have published the report's findings. Check out stories from Associated Press, Daily Herald, and the Peoria Journal Star. We'll be updating the post with new stories as they come in.

Here are some more compelling stats from the report.


COVERAGE UPDATES:

Blogs, etc.

• Progress Illinois: "Heartland Alliance Finds Deepening Poverty In Illinois"
  
• Chicagoist: "2009 Poverty Study Released"
  
• Capitol Fax Blog: Morning Shorts
• Beachwood Reporter: Item in The Papers column
• On the Frontline: "those in poverty increase"
  
• Poverty News Blog: "Numbers of poor spreading in Illinois"
• The Sixth Ward Blog: "Quarter-million Chicagoans on brink of poverty: study"
• From Poverty To Opportunity Campaign: "News Round-up on 2009 Poverty Report"
• Illinois Pro Bono: "Heartland Alliance Releases 2009 Report on Illinois Poverty"
  

Chicago

• Eight Forty Eight on WBEZ: Interview with report author Amy Terpstra
  
• Crain's Chicago Business: "Quarter-million Chicagoans on brink of poverty: study"
• Chicago Tribune: "Victims of economy: 250,000 more forced into poverty in Chicago area, report says"
• ABC 7: "Social service providers see spike in need"
  
• CBS 2: "Report: Recession Drives 400,000 In IL To Poverty"
• Fox Chicago: "Economy Pushes Illinoisans Into Poverty"
  

Suburbs

• Northwest Herald: "Study finds rise in Ill. poverty"
• Kane County Chronicle: "Recession taking heavy toll on Fox Valley"
• The Courier News (Elgin): "Institute adds Kane Co. to 'poverty watch list'"

Downstate

• The Journal Standard (Freeport): "County on poverty warning list: Mid-America Institute on Poverty gives dire designation"
• Journal Gazette/Times Courier (Charleston & Mattoon): "Study: Recession pushing Illinoisans into poverty"
• The Telegraph (Alton): "Four area counties among 46 on poverty list"
• Review Atlas (Monmouth): "Warren County Off Poverty List"
• Daily Journal (Kankakee): "Local counties on poverty list"
• NewsTribune (LaSalle): "Area counties on poverty list"
• Galesburg Register Mail: "Knox County poverty rating improves"
• The Times (Ottawa): "Agency worried about county's poverty"
• Rock Island Argus: "Whiteside County added to poverty warning list"
• WIFR-TV (Rockford): "Study: Recession Pushing Illinoisans into Poverty"
• WGIL-AM (Galesburg): "Group Places Knox County on Poverty Watch List"
• Jacksonville Journal Courier: "Group places Morgan on poverty warning list"
• Pekin Daily Times: "Mason County named to poverty warning list"
• The Southern Illinoisan: "Bankruptcy claims rise in the region"
• Mt. Vernon Register News: "State poverty figures released"
• Mt. Carmel Republican Register: "Wabash County placed on watch list for poverty"
• WMBD/WYZZ-TV (Peoria): "Pushed into poverty"
  

Editorials/Opinion

• Daily Herald: "Driscoll teaches a lesson for hard times"
  
• The Southern Illinoisan: "Poverty is not a permanent condition"
• Northwest Herald: "Give during tough times"
  
• The Telegraph (Alton): "Poverty statistics speak of the truth"
• Galesburg Register Mail: "Numbers show improvement, but poverty still growing here"
  

New study: Supportive housing - pay now, not later

In this tough fiscal climate, state services are feeling the pinch as more people need their help. But Illinois could save millions of dollars from the most expensive users of public services with more supportive housing, according to a new report released today by Heartland Alliance Mid-America Institute on Poverty (MAIP) and Supportive Housing Providers Association (SHPA).

More on the study and news coverage of the release after the jump...


Click here for more!



What is supportive housing? It's affordable housing coupled with supportive services for the homeless, mentally ill and other distressed populations. There are currently 6,000 supportive housing units in 28 Illinois counties.

Today's report found an overall 39 percent cost reduction in the use of state public services from a sample of 177 supportive housing residents. That translates to more than $850,000 - an average saving of $2,400 per resident per year.

And MAIP acknowledges that's not the full scope of savings. Based on other national studies, the cost savings per resident could be more than 7 times higher than the $2,400 figure.

VDC publicized the report's findings, which appeared in stories by the Associated Press and Chicago Public Radio. You can also check out what Google News has picked up here.

Image via United Property Tax Consultants