St. Rep Ford and A Safe Haven President host press conference

From the Office of State Representative
La Shawn K. Ford

 

For More Information:

RepFord@LaShawnFord.com
neli@ASafeHaven.org

 

State Reps. Ford, Ramirez, LaPointe to Hold Press Conference with A Safe Haven on Need to Focus on Homelessness in Upcoming Session

 

CHICAGO – Before lawmakers return to Springfield, state Reps. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, and Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, will join homeless advocates Sunday morning from A Safe Haven to discuss the need to support the homeless and homeless prevention in the state’s next budget, as well as call on the governor to direct federal resources toward homelessness.

 

“The homeless population is an overlooked community during this pandemic, but it’s also one of the most vulnerable,” Ford said. “As we craft a budget to meet our state’s most critical needs, we have to ensure that those on the front lines and working with the homeless are not forgotten and that they meet the maximum of amount of direct funding possible. Additionally, the governor needs to use his spending authority to direct federal relief from the CARES Act to homeless services that need help for their COVID-19 response.”

 

The press conference, which will take place on Sunday, May 17 at 10:30 a.m. at A Safe Haven, located at 2750 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Chicago, will discuss the need to prioritize the homeless, as well as opportunities to fund shelter, and behavioral health care efforts on both the federal and state level. A Safe Haven provides transitional housing and full wrap around services for general and Covid-19 quarantined homeless populations. In addition they were the first homeless program in Chicago to open a COVID-19 positive 100 homeless isolation medical respite space in partnership with RUMC and Heartland Alliance to provide MAT services for any patients that need it. A Safe Haven President and Co-founder Neli Vazquez-Rowland will also speak at the media event.

 

“It’s in the best interest of all of us to make sure we are properly funding established shelter programs and health and behavioral healthcare services to meet the surge in demand by current homeless populations to organizations that offer assistance to homeless individuals who are transient and do not have the ability to shelter-in-place,” Vazquez-Rowland said. “As we deal with a dangerous virus, we must also make sure that those providing care to the homeless are treated on par with all other front line healthcare workers as part of the State’s critical first responder infrastructure and that have access to personal protection equipment and other resources to protect their safety and that we consider how we can help ensure their ability to provide services to those made newly homeless due to job and income loss as a result of COVID-19. State lawmakers are about to discuss a budget, and it’s critically important that homeless services are prioritized.”

 

For more information, please contact RepFord@LaShawnFord.com or neli@ASafehaven.org.

 

Who: State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, state Rep. Delia Ramirez, state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, A Safe Haven President Neli Vazquez-Rowland
What: Press conference on need to support homeless and homeless prevention in state budget
When: Sunday, May 17; 10:30 a.m.
Where: A Safe Haven; 2750 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago