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“What we are trying to do with this bill is to set clear
limitations on government entities establishing or enforcing
ordinances or policies that include fines or criminal penalties
against people experiencing unsheltered homelessness only when
they are solely participating in life-sustaining activity on
public property,” Olickal said.
House Bill 1429 Amendment 3 restricts local entities from
removing homeless people from public places without three days
notice, except in certain circumstances.
“Individual complaints or public pressure may not be the sole
factor and is not an allowable factor in determining imminent
risk,” the bill text states.
The measure also takes home rule power away from local
governments that wish to regulate unsheltered homelessness.
Illinois Municipal League Chief Operating Officer Gordy Hulten
told the committee that municipalities share the goal of
ensuring that people experiencing homelessness are treated with
dignity and connected with services they need.
“At the same time, municipalities are responsible for
maintaining public spaces that are safe and accessible and
usable for all of the residents of the community. This
legislation makes that balance more difficult to achieve,”
Hulten said.
Hulten said the IML opposed HB 1429 and questioned why
restrictions are placed on municipalities and not on state
government.
Niya Kelly, of the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, said
the state has gone further to engage with people living in
encampments.
“The policy that they have enacted was our original bill, and
what we’re working with right now is an amendment that is based
on the concerns of municipalities,” Kelly said.
When asked by state Rep. Travis Weaver, R-Peoria, if that was in
line with his understanding, Hulten said no.
“We’ve had conversations with mayors who have state facilities
in their municipalities, and the municipalities are receiving
phone calls from state agencies sometimes in response to these
encampments so that our first municipal first responders can be
tasked with dealing with these sorts of situations,” Hulten
said.
The Illinois House Housing Committee approved HB 1429 on
Wednesday by a vote of 11-4.
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