HR0135LRB099 05735 GRL 25779 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Homeless youth have a higher crime rate than those
3with stable housing; an estimated number of approximately
426,400 youth experience homelessness in Illinois over the
5course of a year; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 2005, a state-wide study of homeless youth
7found that 22% had been kept in juvenile detention, at the
8average cost of $53,645 per student annually; and
 
9    WHEREAS, One method of mitigating this growing problem is
10to get homeless youth active in pursuing post-secondary
11education; homeless youth are severely underrepresented in the
12university population and are often held back due to the lack
13of funding for housing, leaving a cycle of inhibition; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In order to combat this trend, an initiative has
15been proposed that would provide housing scholarships to
16students in undergraduate colleges and universities who
17self-report as homeless; the program would give these students
18aid in paying for non-campus housing, which would allow for
19these students to attend a university without the worry of
20finding funding for housing; applicants would be required to
21get a Homeless Status Certification from the Secretary of State
22Driver Services department and be full-time students; and
 

 

 

HR0135- 2 -LRB099 05735 GRL 25779 r

1    WHEREAS, This program would allow some of our most
2vulnerable citizens to receive a quality education and become
3productive members of society; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
6urge the boards of trustees of every public university in the
7State of Illinois to adopt a program that provides housing
8scholarships to college students that are registered as
9homeless and to include funding for this program in their
10appropriations requests to the General Assembly; and be it
11further
 
12    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent
13to the boards of trustees of the 9 public universities in the
14State of Illinois.