Illinois Bill Would Allow Life-Sustaining Activities for Homeless Without Penalty; Faces Sharp Criticism

Miami Standard (Chicago, IL) – Law enforcement organizations oppose an Illinois bill that would prohibit fines or criminal penalties for homeless individuals who use public property or engage in life-sustaining activities.

Law enforcement official and state representative John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, claimed that Democrats are attempting to make Illinois 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.”

Like the Illinois Sheriffs Association, Cabello claimed that the bill’s definition of “life sustaining activities” is incredibly vague.

“Bathing in a public area could necessarily be life-sustaining,” said Cabello. “Relieving yourself in public, life-sustaining.”

The Illinois House Housing Committee advanced House Bill 1429. Special interest organizations including Housing Action Illinois and the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness are pushing the bill.

“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.

Opponents include the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Municipal League.

Cabello voiced fear that enforcement agencies might not be able to punish criminals on private property if the law is passed.

“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.

Many homeless people, according to Cabello, suffer from mental illnesses and lack awareness of their actions.

“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.”

The Home Illinois program was started in 2024 by the administration of Governor J.B. Pritzker, which allocated $118 million to help those without homes. In order to prevent taxpayers from having to support homeless camps in public spaces, Cabello stated that a large portion of taxpayer funds are allocated to initiatives for the homeless.

Homeless services will receive $195.6 million in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed 2025 budget, a 21% increase over the $161 million allotted the year before.

Illinois received more than $1 billion in Federal Emergency Rental Assistance grants in 2021, which helped people experiencing housing insecurity with housing support and rental assistance.