MEMBERS OF
Poor People's
Economic Human
Rights Campaign
DeKalb
Alliance
for
Economic Human Rights
LINC (Low Income Networking and Communications) Project
Email
us!
vip_people@yahoo.com
VIP
People
c/o Vincent
Gervais
217 South
2nd Street #283
DeKalb,
IL 60115
815-758-3479
BLOCK GRANT CONSOLIDATED PLAN
PROGRAM YEARS 2000-2004
Mayor Bessie Chronopolous
City Council Members
City Hall
200 South Fourth Street
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
Dear Mayor Chronopolous and City Council Members:
The DeKalb County Alliance for Economic Human Rights began meeting in 1999 to discuss issues of affordable housing and economic sustainability in DeKalb. We hope to create a forum in which the citizens of DeKalb and members of City Council can come together in a mutual education and communication process to ensure that the economic rights of all members of our community are upheld.
Recently, the Alliance has been holding meetings in an effort to gather information about the proposal and implementation of the Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan for Program Years 2000-2004. We have several concerns regarding this Plan that we would like to address through this letter and presentation of our comments during the City Council meeting on February 14, 2000. Our intention is to be part of the process of creating community based solutions to economic problems, not simply to complain about these problems. We respectfully request that City Council hear our concerns and support our recommendations.
Participant members in the Alliance include representatives from Bread for the World, DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice, DeKalb Welfare Watch, Habitat for Humanity, Hope Haven, University Resources for Women, and Voices of Illinois Poor People, as well as members from the community at large.
We want to thank you, the Mayor and our Alderman for hearing our concerns. We especially thank Sue Guio, Peggy Carey and the staff at the Community Development Department for the time and hard work they have put into the Proposal planning process.
Sincerely,
Vincent P. Gervais
Secretary
Return to
Table of Contents
Go to Part I
COMMENTS ON A
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN
Go to Part II
COMMENTS
ON ACQUISITION, DEMOLITION AND
THE GUARANTEE
OF REPLACEMENT HOUSING
Go to Part III
COMMENTS
ON READING AND RESEARCH PROCESSES
Go to Part IV COMMENTS
ON THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HOUSING
POLICY, SUSTAINABLE
WAGES & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Go toPart V
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
March 16, 2000:
VIP People and DeKalb CAEHRs
complete letter writing campaign assisting in the Call
to Action.
February 14 2000:
VIP People and DeKalb Alliance
present comments
on CDBG Consolidated Plan regarding housing issues in the city of
DeKalb .
February 2-8 2000:
VIP People attend the EHRC
Planning Meeting.
November 12-14 1999:
VIP People co-sponsored
the
Poverty
& Community Organizing: DeKalb Conference on Economic Human Rights
October 1999:
Participated in the
March
of the Americas
October 28, 1999:
VIP People protested
in solidarity with the
Chicago
Coalition to
Protect
Public Housing
March
on City Hall