Kane County Residents Face Hurdles

Kane is Number 3 in total poverty population. The 2008 Report on Poverty recently released by Heartland Alliance[1] ranks Kane County as having the third largest poverty population in the state. Poverty is defined as 100% of the Health and Human Services guideline which for a family of four would be $21,200. The Census Fact Sheet 2007 based on the U.S. Census 2006 Community Standards Survey indicates in 2001 18,316 Kane County residents were living under the poverty line. In 2006 this number climbed to 40,498 representing an increase of 221%.[2] In addition to those in poverty, Kane County has 70,182 residents living between 100 and 200% of the poverty level defined as low-income. The total population of low-income and poverty (110,680) represents 22.7% of the total population of Kane County.

Kane is Number 2 in lack of savings. The 2008 Report on Illinois Poverty, Chicago Area Snapshot which includes Kane County, ranked Kane County as second in asset poverty rate with 16.6% of the population having less than three months poverty level subsistence in assets.[3] This means a significant percentage of our population does not have the resources to retain an attorney.

Kane is Number 1 in highest average rent. The 2008 poverty report noted Kane County was tied for the highest fair market rental rate for a two bedroom apartment in the state – as high as Cook County – with an average rental of $944 a month. The resultant need for affordable housing and rent assistance is significant. The report ranked housing as one of the six most critical needs. “While demand is growing, since 2000 alone more than 10,000 units of subsidized affordable housing have been lost to market-rate and condominium conversions in Illinois”.[5]

Poverty is not only a Chicago issue. It is easy to labor under a false assumption that poor people only exist on lower wacker drive in Chicago. With high debt loads and little savings all it takes is the loss of a job to add many of us to the ranks of the poor. Living on the edge has caught many residents off guard as evidenced by the significant number of foreclosures facing Kane County residents.

The number of foreclosures in Kane County increased by 42% in 2007 (Daily Herald, June 5, 2008, p. 3). According to the U.S. Census Bureau there were 74,480 homes with mortgages in the county in 2000. Eight years later, on June 18, 2008, the Illinois Foreclosure Listing Service said that Kane County had 7,591 active foreclosure cases (www.ilfls.com). The Kane County Sheriff’s website on that same date (www.kanesheriff.com/foreclosure) listed some 1,092 properties that had set dates for sale (having reached the end of the foreclosure process). According to the 2000 Census, the percentage of homes in Kane County with first mortgages was 73.2% compared to the national average of 55.4% and with second mortgages was 18.7% compared to the national average of 12.7%. This high debt rate and significant secondary mortgage market rate poses serious risk.

Help is Limited. Cook County has the highest poverty population in the state but it also has the most resources and nearly all the low-income professional service providers. The growing needs in the suburbs and in Kane County warrant the redistribution of assistance. Outside of Cook County only Prairie State Legal Services and Administer Justice are available for legal assistance and only Administer Justice exist to additionally help with financial and tax issues.

The 2005 Legal Aid Safety Net Report found that 49% of those in poverty (defined by that report as those below 150% of the poverty line) experience legal problems and they can find free legal assistance for only 1 in 14 problems.[4] This means that as many as 54,233 Kane County residents may be in need of legal assistance for which they cannot afford representation and only 3,874 people are able to find free legal help.

Hope is Limitless. Your support makes a difference. Because of your support we can offer help and hope to thousands who otherwise have no place to turn. In the first six months of 2008 we have assisted 2,110 individuals in need. More than 130 attorneys now regularly volunteer and they have donated more than $252,000 in legal services in 2008. We share in the hope we offer others by hoping to have a new larger space in Elgin in the near future to enable us to continue to meet the growing needs of area residents. If you would like to help with that please contact us at help@administerjustice.org. Together we are making a difference. Thank you for helping us provide hope to the hopeless, empower the powerless and show mercy and compassion to those in need.

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[1]http://www.heartlandalliance.org/maip/documents/Povertyreport2008Final.pdf
[2] http://www.heartlandalliance.org/maip/documents/CensusFactSheet2007ChicagoArea.pdf
[3] http://www.heartlandalliance.org/maip/documents/ChicagoSnapshotFinal.pdf
[4] http://www.chicagobarfoundation.org/documents/Full%20Study.pdf (page 39)
[5] Report quoting Illinois Housing Development Authority (2006 January) On the road to success: Illinois comprehensive housing plan