Poverty in Illinois

Heartland Alliance has released the seventh annual "Report on Illinois Poverty", which illustrates that Illinois families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Over 85% of Illinois’ 102 counties had increases in poverty, nearly 1.5 million Illinoisans are poor – almost 700,000 of them live in extreme poverty, below half the poverty line – and over one third of Illinoisans in poverty are children.

The report finds that:

• Economic inequality in Illinois continues to worsen.
  
• Illinois’ future is threatened by poverty and economic disadvantage among young adults.
  
• Illinoisans in extreme poverty face significant hardship in trying to meet their basic needs.
  
• Illinois’ fiscal health crisis jeopardizes the current and future economic well-being of families and communities.
  
• Income support programs, designed to supplement worker’s low wages, are being compromised by inadequate benefit levels, as well as capacity and access issues.