sJOAw/^Committee on Human Relations
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is a home rule unit of government pursuant to the 1970 Illinois Constitution, Article VII, Section 6(a); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to its home rule power, the City of Chicago may exercise any power and perform any function relating to its government and affairs including the power to regulate for the protection ofthe public health, safety, morals and welfare; and
WHEREAS, homelessness affected more than half a million people in the United States in 2016 alone based on an article in Forbes; and
WHEREAS, Chicago has 5,889 homeless individuals according to the 2016 Chicago Homeless Count and Survey, which counts individuals in shelters as well as those living on the streets of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has championed multiple efforts to combat homelessness, including implementing a four percent (4%) surcharge on the house sharing industry; and
WHEREAS, with this initiative, Chicago was among the first municipalities to leverage a dedicated funding source to reduce homelessness; and
WHEREAS, other City measures include the expansion of Day for Change, a program that provides day labor opportunities for homeless individuals allowing them to earn up to $600 annually and receive meals, transportation, behavioral health services, job preparedness training, healthcare screenings, hygiene care, and interim housing; and
WHEREAS, Chicago's participation in the national Ending Veterans Homelessness Initiative (EVH1) campaign has allowed the City to house more than 3,000 homeless veterans to date; and
WHEREAS, the Citywide Task Force to Reduce Homelessness is also charged with addressing chronic homelessness citywide; and
WHEREAS, Chicago Emergency Homeless Assessment and Response Center (EHARC), the City's first rapid response center, is a partnership with the Salvation Army, and will specialize in triage services for families experiencing homelessness and will be built on the City's west sid...
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