(The Center Square) – An Illinois bill to stop fines or criminal charges for homeless people using public property or doing life-sustaining activities is opposed by law enforcement groups.
State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, a law enforcement officer, said Democrats are trying to make Illinis more like or even worse than California.
“You’re going to see people doing what you see and hear about in different parts of California, where people are defecating in the streets,” said Cabello. “There’s going to be homeless camps all over the place and the police won’t be able to do anything about it.”
Cabello, like the Illinois Sheriffs Association, said the “life sustaining activities” language in the bill is extremely broad.
“Bathing in a public area could necessarily be life-sustaining,” said Cabello. “Relieving yourself in public, life-sustaining.”
House Bill 1429 advanced out of the Illinois House Housing Committee. The bill is being pushed by special interest groups like Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness and Housing Action Illinois.
“Ticketing or arresting people for experiencing homelessness only worsens their situation by making it even harder for them to secure housing and employment in the future,” stated Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness on their social media shortly after the bill advanced out of committee.
The Illinois Municipal League and Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police are opponents.
Cabello expressed concern that if enacted, enforcement entities might not be able to penalize offenders who are on private property.
“So are they talking about private property as well? Because I’ll tell you what, if somebody comes on my property wants to live, I’m not calling the police. I’ll take care of it myself and I would expect that many of the taxpaying citizens in this state would do the same,” said Cabello.
Cabello said many homeless individuals have a mental illness and don’t understand what they’re doing.
“We need more mental health facilities to take care of the folks that can’t take care of themselves,” said Cabello. “I don’t think that there is somebody without a mental deficiency that is wanting to be homeless.”
In 2024, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration launched the Home Illinois initiative, investing $118 million to support unhoused populations. Cabello said many taxpayer dollars are going to programs for homeless people so that taxpayers don’t have to have homeless camps out in the open.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed 2025 budget includes $195.6 million for homeless services, a 21% increase from the previous year’s $161 million allocation.
In 2021, over $1 billion in Federal Emergency Rental Assistance funds were awarded to Illinois, providing rental assistance and housing support to individuals facing housing insecurity.
