Casten, Foster Deliver $3,000,000 Checks for Affordable Housing Resource Center at 360 Youth Services, Discussing Mental Health, Homelessness Risk for LGBTQ Youth
During the roundtable 360 Youth Services Leadership shared testimonials from individuals served and discussed how the $3,000,000 in funding secured by Reps. Casten and Foster for an Affordable Housing Resource Center will help address the increased mental health and affordable housing needs of LGBTQ youth in Chicagoland exacerbated by ‘Don't Say Gay' bills introduced in surrounding states, hate crimes against the trans community, and other attacks.
The $300,000,000 in Community Project Funding secured by Reps. Casten and Foster as part of the Government Funding package passed in March will be used for a Youth Affordable Housing Resource Center to provide youth-specific housing and homelessness prevention services in DuPage, Kane, Will and surrounding counties. The Center will be a regional access point for trauma-informed mental health care, crisis intervention, family services, vocational training, educational support, rental assistance, legal aid and LGBTQ+ affirming services.
Congressman Casten said, "Not only are LGBTQ youth over fifteen times as likely to experience homelessness due to not being accepted by their families, but they're four times as likely to commit suicide. Rep. Foster and I fought tirelessly to secure $3,000,000 for an Affordable Housing Resource Center at 360 Youth Services because it's one of only two organizations in Illinois that provides the kind of crucial community intervention and homelessness prevention services that has been proven to effectively de-escalate suicidal ideations for LGBTQ youth in more than 90% of cases. As we heard today, this funding will allow for 360 Youth Services to assist hundreds more at-risk youth in our community that desperately need these necessary services."
Congressman Foster said, "Rep. Casten and I were proud to secure $3,000,000 for 360 Youth Services, and it was great to hear how this funding will further their youth-specific housing and homelessness prevention services in our community. It's estimated that LGBTQ+ youth comprise 20-40% of all homeless youth in the United States, and Rep. Casten and I are proud to help 360 Youth Services expand the good work they do caring for these important members of our community."
Dawn Melchiorre, interim CEO of 360 Youth Services said, "The Pandemic revealed the critical need for youth-focused housing, mental health care and job training. This project will benefit our community for years to come because it's an investment in youth and families,"
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On Tuesday, Congressman Casten also visited the DuPage Regional Office of Education, Wheaton, IL to discuss how the $250,000 for high school work-based learning he secured through community project funding will help hire staff and design programs to prepare high school students for jobs and apprenticeships in manufacturing and other trades.
During his visit, Casten interviewed about Dr. Darlene Ruscitti, Regional Superintendent, about how the $250,000 in funding will help students prepare for successful careers and supercharge economic opportunity in Chicagoland.
As part of the appropriations government funding package passed in March, Congressman Casten secured $7,926,644 in Community Project Funding for all 10 projects he requestion, each of which directly responds to the pressing needs of families and businesses in Chicagoland.
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"After an extremely competitive project submission process and many months spent advocating tirelessly for our community, I am proud to deliver $7.9 million in Community Project Funding for Illinois' 6th district," said Congressman Casten. "From addressing learning loss and combating homelessness to helping our small businesses and making it easier for folks to get to work, these investments will supercharge economic development and support the most vulnerable, making a real difference in the lives of so many in Chicagoland. I am proud to have fought for funding that will make our community healthier, safer, stronger, and even more resilient. This is democracy in action."
Rep. Casten secured $7,926,644 in funding for a total of 10 community projects that will directly benefit the 6th district. These include:
- $250,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Dundee Township, Carpentersville, IL for an academic and SEL support program - would be used to run programs aimed at low-income K-12 students to address learning loss and social-emotional learning needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- $500,000 Community College District 502 Nursing, Dental Hygiene, and Health Sciences Program: The funding would be used to purchase technology, such as radiological equipment and simulation mannequins, to better prepare students for careers in health care.
- $250,000 for DuPage Regional Office of Education, Wheaton, IL for high school work-based learning: The funding would be used to hire staff and design programs to prepare high school students for jobs and apprenticeships in manufacturing and other trades.
- $750,000 for Morton Arboretum for an Urban Forestry Project: The funding would be used for The Morton Arboretum's participation in The Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) which assists municipalities, counties, and other communities in the 7-county Chicago metropolitan region to: plant and grow trees to mitigate and develop resilience to climate change; plant and care for trees to assist community health; and address environmental inequities in underserved and diverse communities. This project increases the urban canopy, diversifies the urban forestry to reduce catastrophic loss, improves capacity of communities to plant and care for trees, and increases tree production.
- $614,000 for Deer Park Boulevard - Road Program: The funding would be used for Deer Park Boulevard - Road Program for road reconstruction of 2,750 roadway. Deer Park Boulevard is a thoroughfare through in their commercial district. The current conditions show signs of aging and problematic sound structural condition.
- $500,000 for Barrington - Pedestrian Grade Separation at Main Street and the Canadian National Railroad: The funding would be used for Pedestrian Grade Separation at Main Street and the Canadian National Railroad, which would allow for uninterrupted pedestrian traffic at this rail crossing in a safe and accessible manner.
- $197,644 for Bridges Communities, Inc. - Capital Rehabilitation of Glendale Heights Program Campus: The Bridge Communities plans to renovate its Glendale Heights campus, comprising one eight-flat building and one six-flat building. For 33 years, Bridge Communities has been serving extremely low to low income homeless families, mostly single mothers with two or more children. Bridge provides safe, clean and affordable housing and needs to complete this moderate rehab project in order to continue doing so for the families.
- $3,000,000 for 360 Youth Services - Youth Affordable Housing Resource Center:The funding would be used as a Youth Affordable Housing Resource Center to provide youth-specific housing and homelessness prevention services in DuPage, Kane, Will and surrounding counties. The Center will be a regional access point for trauma-informed mental health care, crisis intervention, family services, vocational training, educational support, rental assistance, legal aid and LGBTQ+ affirming services.
- $1,080,000 for Downers Grove Sanitary District for Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation: The funding would be used for Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation, approximately 4,500 lf of 42-inch reinforced concrete pipe would be rehabilitated using cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), which will prevent root intrusion, eliminating obstructions and lost capacity due to infiltration and inflow
- $785,000 for Village of Burr Ridge for Stormwater Management Improvements: The funding would be used for a regional watercourse in Burr Ridge that is conveyed beneath Elm Street by a large, corrugated metal pipe that has significant corrosion and has reached the end of its useful life. A collapse of this pipe would impact Elm School (District 181) for several months, impede regional traffic in Hinsdale, Willowbrook, and Burr Ridge, and likely result in private property damage to adjacent homes.
The twelve-bill government funding package will help middle class families with the cost of living, create American jobs, supports the vulnerable, and work to help small businesses and restaurants that are key to our economic future. Taken together, the funding for Illinois 6th and the funding increases for critical government programs will reverse decades of disinvestment in our communities and strengthen our nation.
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