Hunter: Legalizing cannabis will help reverse decades of unfair, unjust failed policy

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) voted in favor today to make it legal for adults 21 and older to purchase and possess cannabis in Illinois.

House Bill 1438 would allow Illinois residents to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC in a cannabis-infused product. The bill also allows for adults 21 and older to grow up to five medical cannabis plants in their home, providing certain conditions are met.

“Communities of color in Illinois have been disproportionately impacted by misguided cannabis policy for far too long,” Hunter said. “I supported the legalization of adult-use cannabis in our state to help address the disproportionate impact of prohibition on people of color by expunging criminal convictions and promote equitable participation in the legal marijuana industry by investing in the communities hardest hit by the War on Drugs.”

Under the bill, cannabis convictions would be expunged in two ways. Convictions for use up to 30 grams would be pardoned by the governor, and state’s attorneys or individuals can petition the court to vacate convictions for amounts between 30-500 grams.

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Hunter announces affordable housing tax credit for Lawson House

SPRINGFIELD – Federal tax credits that aid in construction or renovation of affordable housing will flow to a project totaling 400 units in the north side of Chicago, State Senator Mattie Hunter announced today.

“As more Illinoisans become rent burdened, meaning they pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing, this award is an important step toward tackling the growing affordability problem for Chicago’s renter households,” said Hunter(D-Chicago), who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Housing.

Lawson House in Chicago is one of 25 Affordable Housing Developments receiving the federal tax incentive. With this award, Holsten Real Estate Development will undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation of the historic building, resulting in 400 units, the majority targeted to those at or below Area Media Income (AMI).  After the completion, Lawson House will still offer office and programming spaces for the various social service providers who currently work with tenants.

The Low-Income Housing Tax credit provides a tax incentive to construct or rehabilitate affordable rental housing for low-income households. It has created more than 90,970 units in the state, generating $4.9 billion in private capital for affordable housing.

In total, $28 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits will be awarded to 16 different counties across Illinois.

“I am thrilled that Lawson House is going to get the necessary funding it needs to rehabilitate and create more affordable housing units for the community,” Hunter said, “but I remain committed to finding more comprehensive and innovative solutions to the affordable housing crisis in our state.”

Hunter calls for more investments in affordable housing to create stronger communities

SPRINGFIELD–State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago, 3^rd) joined community leaders and affordable housing advocates from across Illinois at the State Capitol today in calling for more investments in affordable housing in the capital budget.

“Right now, we have an opportunity – one that has not come around in more than a decade – to make a sizable impact on the affordable housing needs of our communities,” said Hunter, the Chairman of the Senate’s Special Committee on Housing. “There are neighborhoods in my district that are still struggling to recover from the economic crisis and are starved for investment, and I know that many communities across the state from urban, suburban and rural communities face similar challenges.”

Last week, Gov. JB Pritzker proposed investing $175 million for affordable housing in the capital budget. Hunter unified with a coalition of housing developers, supportive housing providers, municipal government and community-based organizations to urge the General Assembly to expand on this foundation by allocating additional funds to create stronger communities by expanding access to safe, decent and affordable housing.

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Hunter continues fight to provide in-home care workers a wage boost

 SPRINGFIELD – Speaking at an SEIU Healthcare Home Care Lobby Day rally, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago, 3^rd) once again stressed the importance of giving a raise to care workers who provide in-home services for seniors in Illinois.

“Right now, home care agencies are struggling to recruit and retain caregivers in every corner of the state,” Hunter said. “Why? Because the average Illinois home care worker’s hourly wage is only $11.08.”

Hunter is the chief co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2019, which would provide agencies a rate increase to ensure that every home care aide working through the Illinois Department on Aging’s Community Care Programs earns at least $13 per hour by July 1, 2019.

For years, funding for programs under the Community Care Program have gone unchanged, which leaves care providers unable to raise workers’ wages and has left Illinois unprepared to deal with workforce shortages. Projections also show that the population of Illinoisans over the age of 65 will grow by one-third by 2025, ballooning to 2.5 million people. Currently, the state needs 19,500 more workers to meet demand, but will also need another 12,000 workers annually to account for high turnover rates as caregivers are pushed out of the industry in search of better-paying jobs.  

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