Current Events
January 14th Meeting Minutes
The January 14th, 2013 Meeting Minutes were approved at the April 8th, 2013 meeting. Please click here to view them.
Poverty Commission April Meeting
The Poverty Commission will be meeting on Monday, April 8th, from 2-5pm in Chicago. In Chicago, the meeting will be held at the Thompson center, located at 100 W Randolph, on the 9th floor Room 9-031. If you are unable to join in person and would like to dial in, you may do so by calling this number: Dial in: 888.494.4032 Access code: 6828373837
Agenda: 4.8.13 Agenda
Legislative Watchlist
Please click here to view the Poverty Commission's 2013 Updated Legislative Watchlist.
Poverty Commission Elimination Meeting
The first Poverty Commission meeting of 2013 will be held Monday, January 14th from 2-5pm in Chicago. In Chicago, the meeting will be held at the Thompson center, located at 100 W Randolph, on the 2nd floor Room 2-025. If you are unable to join in person and would like to dial in, you may do so by calling this number: Dial in: 888.494.4032 Access code: 6828373837
Agenda: 1.14.13 Agenda
In addition, to view the final 2012 Annual Report, please click here.
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2012 Annual Report
Please click here to read a draft of the Poverty Commission's 2012 Annual Report. If you would like to submit feedback, please use the comment box at the bottom of this page or send comments directly to KDrew@heartlandalliance.org or mavara.agha@illinois.gov.
Poverty Commission Elimination Meeting
The next Poverty Commission meeting will be held Monday, September 10th from 2-5pm in Chicago. In Chicago, the meeting will be held at the Thompson center, located at 100 W Randolph, on the 2nd floor Room 2-025. If you are unable to join in person and would like to dial in, you may do so by calling this number: Dial in: 888.494.4032 Access code: 383707
Agenda: 9.10.12 Agenda
Poverty Commission Elimination Meeting
The next Poverty Commission meeting will be held March 19th from 2-5pm in Chicago. In Chicago the meeting will be held at the Thompson center, located at 100 W Randolph, on the 9th floor Room 9-040. If you are unable to join in person and would like to dial in you may do so by calling this number: Dial in: 888-636-3807, Access code - 4011529
Agenda: 3.19 Agenda.doc
Simulation of Illinois Poverty Proposals Final Memorandum v2.doc
Poverty Commission 2012 Legislative Watch List 3 16 2012.doc
Illinois Policy Sims Resuls Final.xls
Poverty Commission Meet and Greet
Join the Poverty Commission for a Meet and Greet at the Governor's Mansion. This fun social event will be held on March 28, 2012 from 5:00-7:00pm at the Governor's Mansion located at 5th and Jackson in Springfield Illinois. Please RSVP to Jennie.Sutcliffe@Illinois.gov if you are interested in attending. 
Commission Hearings
Thank you to all who attended the Poverty Commission public hearings. More than 200 individuals attended the three hearings and over 60 testified about the struggles of living in extreme poverty. Their insight will help inform the Commission's Annual Progress Report, which will be released in late September.
Current News
The Annual Progress Report is Released
September 29, 2011
Today, the Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty announces the official release of its Annual Progress Report showing the state has lost ground in its efforts to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015.
The Annual Progress Report follows public hearings in Chicago, Springfield and Marion this summer. Almost 200 people attended the hearings and over 50 people testified about the state’s progress toward reducing extreme poverty.In December, the Poverty Commission released a strategic plan to reach the 2015 goal through public policy changes. With little progress made, the number of residents in the lowest income bracket continues to grow. As a result, more people are living in extreme poverty than ever before.
“Now, more than ever, we must commit ourselves to the elimination of extreme poverty in the State of Illinois,” said the Rev. Dr. Sid Mohn, Co-Chairman of the Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty and President of the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights.More than 6% of the state’s population — or 823,400 Illinois residents — live in extreme poverty. Annual income for a family of four in extreme poverty is below $11,175, which is less than half of the federal poverty level.
Recent state budget cuts slashed human services funding and legislators failed to pass bills aligning with Poverty Commission recommendations, such as:
- Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income, working families
- Eliminating barriers to employment facing those with non-violent criminal backgroundsIncreasing the state’s minimum wage and benefit standards
- Mandating paid sick days for low-wage workers
Click here to read the Annual Report!
"Did you ever imagine that we would become a society that would drive by one of our own and not stop to see if they have enough food in their belly and a place to sleep? We have a lot to do. We have a lot to change" - Lynn Jarman, Centers for Independent Living
Commission on the Elimination of Poverty: Final Report
On Thursday December 9, 2010, the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty released its final report, titled Building a Pathway to Dignity and Work. Please visit here for the full PDF version of the report.
The commission wants to hear from the public on this important issue.
You may provide your name and email address, but you are not required to do so. Comments and ideas will be shared with the commission and also may be subject to public disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Thank you.