According to the Associated Press, Governor Blagojevich, with the approval of state lawmakers, took $5 million from the authority's State Housing Trust Fund - about one-fifth of the trust fund's total.

"This is the first time in the history of the fund, which has existed since 1989, that any of the money has ever been touched for any purpose but what it was created for," said Julie Dworkin, associate director of policy for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

Angry housing advocates say the move will mean hundreds of low-income housing units won't get built in Illinois this year.

"This is a very scarce resource," Dworkin said. "It's barely scratching the surface of the need. It may not seem like a lot (of money), but it's a big chunk of what we have."

To see the full-text story, go to:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/7C8376F078738E7486256D9400168549?OpenDocument&Headline=Critics+decry+cuts+in+Illinois+housing+fund&highlight=2%2Cstate%2Chousing%2Ctrust%2Cfund

Submitted by: Illinois Legal Aid Online | More news from this organization
Posted: 09/03/2003