On any given night in Illinois, thousands of people experience homelessness, including families with children. Homelessness is defined as not having a home at all, and it’s important to note that it isn’t always the lack of housing or ‘being on the streets. Someone can be experiencing homelessness and staying at a shelter or going back and forth between different family members and friends’ homes. Housing insecurity could look like struggling to keep up with rent, sacrificing other basic needs like food to make payments, settling for unsafe living conditions, and experiencing periods of homelessness.
In 2020, about 4% of Illinois mothers reported experiencing homelessness 12 months before they gave birth. Pregnant people and families with children are among those populations who are at the highest risk of becoming homeless in Illinois. In the 2022-23 school year, over 58,000 students experienced homelessness within the state. This also includes Black Illinoisians (Black Illinoisians are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than their white counterparts), people with low incomes, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA youth, domestic violence victims, and people experiencing mental health crises and substance abuse disorder.
Housing insecurity and homelessness is a reproductive justice issues that can negatively impact reproductive health, birth outcomes, and the ability to maintain bodily autonomy. However, the connection between being housing insecure and reproductive health is not always seen. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to make informed choices about their reproductive health and safe and supportive environments,” says our Strategic Partnership Liaison, Tamela Milan-Alexander, “but [safe and stable housing] is also part of those social determinants of health that’s overlooked”.
Tamela recently presented at our Exploring the Intersection of Reproductive Justice and Housing webinar and gave insight into the work we are doing as an organization to address housing insecurity. This includes partnering with initiatives like iPromote to provide education around homelessness, advocating for those experiencing homelessness and elevating their voices, and taking action to advocate for equitable housing policies.
“We are also part of a workgroup for housing insecurity and homelessness in Illinois among pregnant and parenting individuals, and we are developing policy recommendations,” says Tamela. “We are also advocating for implementing the New Illinois Behavioral Health Transformation 1115 waiver to use Medicaid funding for housing needs for pregnant and postpartum populations”.
Tamela also shared her personal story about experiencing housing insecurity while parenting and how it inspires her to advocate for parents who are having a hard time. “It became my life’s work because I had gone through the Section 8 program and stayed in housing that wasn’t safe,” says Tamela. “There was always this restriction when it came to getting housing when you had so many children like I did.” Tamela’s story reflects so many people’s experiences regarding housing while having children and the biases that can prevent parents from accessing safe environments to thrive. EverThrive Illinois is committed to advocating for families and educating them about how housing insecurity and homelessness intersect with reproductive justice. This is another example of how reproductive justice goes beyond reproductive health care, to address the broader social and economic conditions that impact people’s ability to make decisions about their lives, families, and futures. Together with our partners, we will continue to raise awareness and foster solutions that ensure safe, stable housing for all families.