June 05, 2023

Duckworth Underscores Her Efforts to Help Chicago Youth Experiencing Homelessness

 

 [CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today visited Covenant House Illinois (CHIL), for which she secured $1 million through a Congressionally Directed Spending Request. The funding Duckworth secured will help renovate the CHIL facility to expand services for Chicago youth experiencing homelessness, supporting the transitional housing program for youth and other important initiatives that seek to break the cycle of homelessness. Duckworth was joined today by CHIL Board Chair Mark Hennessy, Executive Director Susan Reyna-Guerrero and Director of Development Johnpaul Higgins. Photos from today are available here.

“Our state and our nation are stronger when we invest in our communities and families—and that’s one of the things Congressionally Directed Spending allows us to do,” said Duckworth. “It’s a tragedy when any child does not have a safe roof over their head, and all too often their heartbreaking stories go unheard and unnoticed. I’m so proud I was able to secure this critical support for Covenant House Illinois to better enable them to address the needs of youth experiencing homelessness.”

“Everyone at Covenant House Illinois is thrilled beyond words to welcome Senator Duckworth to our campus,” Reyna-Guerrero said. “The Senator's dedication to our mission and to combatting the plight of our state’s young people struggling with the devastation of homelessness and housing insecurity gives us all hope for a brighter future. In particular, our recently awarded $1 million in funding made possible through Senator Duckworth’s direct support of CHIL’s comprehensive expansion project and the renovation of our new campus on Chicago's West Side means greater resources for youth in crisis, including transitional shelter and a full array of wraparound services, to help them permanently break the cycle of homelessness, thrive, and achieve sustainable independence. We are incredibly grateful for the Senator's ongoing support and for her belief that every young person deserves access to affirming experiences and growth opportunities that will allow them to realize their full potential.”

CHIL provides a safe harbor and full continuum of wraparound supportive services to Chicago's most vulnerable populations. Its programs and services meet the physical, emotional, educational well-being of young people, as they build their path to independence.

In FY22, Duckworth and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) secured $211 million through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for Illinois and another $182 million for Illinois in FY23. The CDS process does not represent new spending, rather it enables Members of Congress to allocate existing funding for specific local projects by units of government, nonprofit organizations and other organizations that meet strict eligibility requirements.