HB0624eng 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0624 Engrossed LRB104 04511 KTG 14538 b

AN ACT concerning housing.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Home for Good Act.

Section 5. Findings.

(a) The General Assembly recognizes the following:

(1) The Illinois prison system releases 15,000 people each year, but without a cogent and unified statewide system to support housing security and reduce the risk of recidivism.

(2) A 2025 Loyola University Chicago Study found that between 66% and 80% of individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections experienced housing instability or homelessness within 3 years prior to their incarceration, making them at risk of homelessness after prison as well.

(3) Returning residents often struggle to access housing and stable jobs because of State laws and policies that permit housing discrimination against people with records. For example, the Illinois Human Rights Act only protects people with arrest records from housing-related discrimination, but offers no such protections to persons with conviction records.

(4) The current U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development policy on homelessness also creates barriers that prevent formerly incarcerated individuals from accessing permanent housing programs through the homeless system.

(5) A 2023 study of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority found that formerly incarcerated people have an average unemployment rate of 45% and lower annual wages, with Black individuals who are formerly incarcerated having the highest rates of unemployment.

(6) As a result, many people cannot comply with the conditions of release, or they turn to the underground economy to support themselves and their families.

(7) Research shows that housing instability, homelessness, unemployment, and low wages are among the factors that contribute to the nearly 40% of previously incarcerated people returning to prison within 3 years.

(8) According to a Spring 2025 Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council report, Illinois taxpayers already pay $89,408 annually for each person incarcerated in State prisons.

(9) When a person returns to prison, the total cost rises to $200,000, including direct and indirect costs, resulting in unnecessary and expensive costs for all Illinoisans.

(10) The State government has a responsibility to increase community safety and individual and family well-being by addressing the housing needs of persons leaving incarceration.

(11) Affordable, safe, and stable housing is a fundamental necessity for successful reentry and family stability.

(12) Affordable, safe, and stable housing for returning residents also improves and promotes public safety.

(13) Without a dedicated commitment of affordable, safe, and stable housing providing a mix of transitional and permanent affordable housing that is informed by the housing needs and policy perspectives of returning residents, the State is failing to meet the needs of its residents and communities.

(b) The General Assembly also recognizes that there are several independent strategies in place now that increase access to safe, affordable housing for returning residents and improve and promote public safety, including:

(1) The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), as administrator of the Rental Housing Support Program, created the Re-Entry Program, providing 81 Reentry Rental Housing Support Program subsidies across the State with the support of housing navigators who build relationships with landlords and connect returning residents to resources to support their success.

(2) IHDA's Housing for Justice Involved Individuals Program provides grants to community-based organizations to acquire, build, or rehabilitate housing for the purpose of creating transitional reentry housing beds across the State, resulting in over 500 beds statewide.

(3) IHDA's Housing Task Force added "justice-involved individuals" as a priority population for IHDA's 2026 Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan.

(4) The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act created the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program, which reinvests a portion of cannabis tax revenue into communities in order to reduce gun violence through intervention and prevention, improve reentry and diversion services for people involved with the criminal justice system, provide access to legal representation and advice, encourage investment and economic growth, enhance youth development, and support programs that improve the social determinants of health.

(5) Through the 2026 R3 Notice of Funding Opportunity (CSFA Number 546-00-2378), the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and the R3 Board have committed up to $35,000,000 as a set aside for reentry services, civil legal aid services, and economic development in order to provide returning residents with support and economic opportunities.

(c) It is the intent of the General Assembly to codify into law a comprehensive and unified statewide reentry program incorporating the existing reentry programs of the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority that:

(1) will meet a returning resident's housing needs and is community-based;

(2) includes ongoing active involvement by formerly incarcerated persons;

(3) provides a mix of transitional and permanent affordable housing units, rental subsidies, and reentry services supported by sustained and adequate funding; and

(4) will have a positive long-term return on investment for this State.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Advisory Committee" means the Home for Good Advisory Committee.

"Community-based organizations" means non-profit organizations delivering housing and other services to those reentering from incarceration and who are eligible to receive grants from Illinois state agencies.

"ICJIA" means the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

"IDOC" means the Illinois Department of Corrections.

"IHDA" means the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

"Institute" means the Home for Good Institute.

"Program" means the Home for Good Program.

"Targeted population" means persons released from an IDOC facility on or after January 1, 2027 who shall be eligible to enroll in the Program for up to 5 years from their release date.

Section 15. Home for Good Program. The Home for Good Program is created as a statewide coordinated program designed to provide housing and services to the targeted population. The Program shall contain the following elements:

(1) Beginning January 1, 2027, IHDA shall be responsible for providing appropriate resources to potential applicants to acquire, develop, and rehabilitate permanent affordable housing units and transitional housing units that are designated exclusively for the targeted population. The granting and application process shall follow the existing program model of the Housing for Justice Involved Individuals Program. IHDA shall also be responsible for providing site-based rental housing subsidies to community-based organizations that work with the targeted population which may be used to enter into lease agreements and master lease agreements for the purpose of providing housing for program participants and tenant-based rental subsidies.

(2) Beginning January 1, 2027, ICJIA shall provide appropriate resources to community-based organizations who work with the targeted population. These resources shall be used to provide case management and reentry navigation services to Program participants. In addition, these resources shall be used to make supportive services available to Program participants. Services may include housing and related services, physical and behavioral health, education, family reunification and relationship building, transportation, job training, acquiring vital documents, and meeting basic needs.

(3) Beginning January 1, 2027, the Executive Director of ICJIA shall ensure that regional networks of participating community-based organizations and housing providers are established for the Program to collaborate and provide services and housing to the targeted population.

(4) Beginning January 1, 2027, the Program shall require that a housing needs assessment tool designed to determine housing and support services needs is administered to all individuals who are exiting IDOC custody within the next 12 to 18 months. At least 18 months prior to their release date, individuals must be informed of the housing needs assessment tool and their right to opt out of participation. IDOC shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that all individuals who do not opt out of participation are able to complete the housing needs assessment. The assessment shall be administered by a community-based organization with demonstrable expertise in reentry services, behavioral health, and permanent and transitional affordable housing which shall be given no less than monthly access to IDOC facilities for the purposes of administering the housing needs assessment tool and conducting prerelease reentry planning and service delivery. For individuals exiting IDOC prior to the completion of the housing needs assessment tool, IDOC shall provide the contact information for the community-based organizations administering the housing needs assessment tool. Community-based organizations administering the housing needs assessment tool shall make all reasonable efforts to complete the tool for individuals who have already exited IDOC. The housing needs assessment shall determine an individual's vulnerability to housing instability or homelessness, and the assessment shall identify the individual's behavioral health needs. The purpose of the behavioral health element of the assessment is to help potential participants successfully secure housing and shall not be used as a reason to exclude potential participants from the Program.

(5) The Interagency Reentry Workgroup shall be created and designed to serve the housing and support services needs of the targeted population by implementing and coordinating the activities of the Program among the State agencies involved. The Workgroup's activities shall be informed by people who have experienced reentry. The Workgroup shall be chaired by the Executive Director of ICJIA or his or her designee. Members of the Workgroup shall include the Director of IDOC, or his or her designee, and the Executive Director of IHDA, or his or her designee. The chair may add other agency leaders or their designees to the Workgroup as needed.

(6) On January 1, 2027, or as soon thereafter as reasonably possible, the Executive Director of IHDA shall create the Home for Good Institute. The Home for Good Institute shall provide training and technical assistance to community-based organizations who intend to acquire, develop, rehabilitate, or operate permanent and transitional housing units for the targeted population. Community-based organizations that successfully complete the training from the Institute shall be awarded additional points on any applications for funding from IHDA, including the Home for Good Program.

(7) The Home for Good Advisory Committee is created for the purposes of identifying program priorities and making recommendations for approval to ICJIA's and IHDA's governing boards to foster collaboration between ICJIA and IHDA and between these State agencies and community-based organizations, and to ensure the equitable provision of resources for affordable housing and support services throughout the State based upon the geographic distribution of incarcerated people exiting IDOC. The Advisory Committee shall be housed at ICJIA. The Executive Director of ICJIA shall appoint Advisory Committee members, not to exceed 25. Members of the Advisory Committee shall include:

(A) the Executive Director of ICJIA or his or her designee;

(B) the Executive Director of IHDA or his or her designee;

(C) the Director of IDOC or his or her designee;

(D) the Reentry Director at the Department of Human Services or his or her designee;

(E) the Director of Reentry for the City of Chicago or his or her designee;

(F) the Executive Director of the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council or his or her designee;

(G) the Chief Homelessness Officer or his or her designee;

(H) 5 reentry advocates, at least 3 of whom must be previously incarcerated; however, advocates who are officers, members, or employees of entities that receive money through the Program are not eligible for appointment to the Advisory Committee;

(I) one representative of an affordable housing development organization;

(J) one representative of an affordable housing advocacy organization;

(K) one reentry researcher;

(L) 5 community members with proportional representation from urban, suburban, and rural areas throughout the State; and

(M) one person each appointed by:

(i) the President of the Senate;

(ii) the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(iii) the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(iv) the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

At least 5 of the up to 25 members appointed to the Advisory Committee by the Executive Director of ICJIA shall have personally experienced incarceration and reentry.

(8) No later than January 31, 2028, and every January 31 thereafter, the Home for Good Advisory Committee, subject to approval by ICJIA's and IHDA's governing boards, shall annually submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a public report containing data for the prior State fiscal year on the number of persons served, the effectiveness of the Program as measured by criteria established by the Advisory Committee, the amount and type of housing made available through the Program, metrics on the Program's waitlist such as demographics, size and average waiting time, metrics on the number and percentage of individuals who completed a housing needs assessment compared to the number and percentage of individuals eligible to receive that housing needs assessment, data and information about why individuals chose to opt out of the housing needs assessment, the return on investment generated through savings and economic activity resulting from the implementation of the Program, a forecast of the number of people exiting State prisons who are at risk of experiencing housing instability and homelessness each fiscal year, any recommended improvements to the Program's design, and a forecast of the number of affordable homes needed to meet the needs of Program participants.

Section 20. Rules. IHDA, ICJIA, and IDOC shall jointly adopt rules to implement this Act. The rules must describe how a housing needs assessment will be administered by community-based organizations with expertise in providing reentry services and permanent and transitional housing to persons incarcerated in IDOC no later than 12 months prior to their release date.

The rules must describe how a housing needs assessment will make the determinations described in paragraph (3) of Section 15.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.