Advocates ask Cook County to back TIF and grants to bolster homeless services and food access

Jennifer Hill, executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness in suburban Cook County, told the board the county finance committee approved roughly $4.1 million in TIF investments for homeless services and described a problem-solving fund for prevention, shelter diversion and rapid resolution that can help households avoid shelter stays. She said shelter-diversion partners find safe alternatives "43% of the time" for people who report a need for shelter in the next 48 hours.

Representatives from the Greater Chicago Food Depository and local food pantries spoke in favor of a $10 million request to expand emergency food access and capacity building. Jill Rockman, chief operating officer of the Food Depository, said the funding would support emergency distributions and cold-storage capacity so partner pantries can procure and distribute more food; she said the network handled its highest volume during the November SNAP freeze and distributed 226,000 household visits that month.

Speakers from community-based organizations — including Housing Forward and mutual-aid groups — described concrete uses for the funds: emergency relocation for domestic-violence survivors, rapid rental assistance and shelter diversion. Several speakers described the services as cost-effective alternatives to prolonged homelessness and asked the board to finalize the TIF allocations and related grant awards so programs can continue through the fiscal year.

At the meeting the board approved several finance items on the consent calendar related to homelessness prevention and rental-assistance grants; speakers thanked commissioners and county staff for prior commitments and urged prompt disbursement of funds to partners on the ground.