Housing and Homelessness

On any given night in America, there are over 550,000 people experiencing homelessness, with around 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness over the course of a year. The Reform Jewish Movement has repeatedly called attention to the need to increase the availability of affordable housing and provide the means for people experiencing homelessness to make the transition from shelters and streets to stable homes.

Key Programs to Alleviate Housing and Homelessness

Affordable Housing

The main cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. While the U.S. government defines affordable housing costs as 30 percent of an individual or family’s annual income, 37.8 million American households consistently pay well above 30 percent. A lack of affordable housing can magnify existing disparities in educational opportunities, job prospects, access to medical services, food security and quality of life.

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Housing and Homelessness
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RAC-IL’s Victory for Shomer Shelter

May 11, 2022
Last month, the Illinois legislature passed HB 2775, a bill that would end source of income discrimination in housing. Working across lines of difference as a member of the Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing, RAC-IL is proud to have played a key role in this successful campaign, which makes Illinois the twentieth state in the country to pass protections against income discrimination in housing. Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign the bill in the coming weeks.

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