Here is the story of one former resident of supportive housing. To learn more about the SHPA Residents Committee, its activities, and issues of importance to supportive housing residents, click on these SHPA Residents Newsletters: ResidentsNewsletterFall2004.pdf, ResidentsNewsletterWinter2005.pdf, ResidentsNewsletterSpring2005.pdf, ResidentsNewsletterSummer2005.pdf, ResidentsNewsletterFall2005.pdf.
 

Supportive Housing Residents Travel to Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, November 2004 Veto Session - We got the Rental Housing Support Program bill passed through the House!!!!  After more than a year of work on this bill, it was very exciting for tenant leaders to be there for its passage through the house![1] 

We had to quickly change our game plan from lobbying House members, to lobbying Senators and to push them to advocate within the Senate to get the bill called up for a vote during this short veto-session. Our leaders were right up front for the action! 

Leaders from Lakefront Supportive Housing’s Holland (from the Roseland community 107^th / Wentworth), lead by Tonya Love and Ron Henry, spoke with Senate President Emil Jones' staff and residents of the Major Jenkins/Delmar/Howard Washington apartments met with Senator Carol Ronen.

Betty Shadid and Oliver Burnett lead the Northside (Uptown community) delegation. They personally delivered a hand written letter to Senator Ronen asking her to work to get the bill called and to vote yes.  She assured our leaders that she was in now favor of the bill. We also asked her to put in a good word with her close associate, the Governor, to sign the bill.  Senator Ronen then joined the larger delegation in her office lobby and shook their hands and welcomed them to Springfield.

A second busload of tenant leaders went arrived a little later in the day to work on Senate Bill 3007, which would seal felony records (from non-police) for non-violent offenders.  Tenant leaders Victor Mason and Tony Franklin delivered notes to four Senators offices and observed debate from the Senate gallery.   The delegation's leaders got a commitment from Senate President Jones to call the bill for a vote!

All residents faced significant personal struggles in keeping their commitment to come on the trip.  One leader shared that she usually cannot work on more than one thing at a time.  Her work to finish her GED program was all that she could do.  Yet, when her alarm awakened her at 5:00 am for the trip, she talked to herself about not having a "confused mind" and to honor her commitment to come on the trip.

We are all exhausted, but feeling VERY INFLUENTIAL and very excited for the wonderful experiences we had!
 

Would you like to share your adventures of visiting elected officials, hosting legislators, registering people to vote, getting people to the polls, or other events with policymakers?  Would you like to find out more about the SHPA Residents Committee?  Please email your adventures and questions to supportivehsg@aol.com.

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