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Illinois YouthBuild Coalition Seeks to Restore Funding for Disadvantaged Youth

ROCKFORD– The Illinois YouthBuild Coalition, Inc., a statewide  nonprofit organization representing 16 programs statewide serving disadvantaged  young adults, announced today that it will seek to restore state funding for its  programs. 
Since the enactment of the Illinois YouthBuild Act in 1997, a  small number of Illinois programs were funded on a discretionary basis by the  Secretary of Human Services until this funding was cut completely in 2009.  In 2007, the Act was amended to make  YouthBuild a mandatory program, subject to appropriation. Substantial state  support is seen as a wise investment of public dollars. According to
researchers, the economic burden to taxpayers and society of a single dropout   youth is between $170,000 and $529,000. 
Additional research has shown that for every dollar invested in a YouthBuild student there is an estimated social return on investment of $7.80 and for court-involved youth, the return is between $10.80 and $42.90.  Housing activity by YouthBuild participants creates jobs, returns vacant properties to the tax base, and increases the supply of affordable housing.    
     During the last decade, declining federal and local support combined with the loss of the State allocation has resulted in the closing of 8 Illinois YouthBuild programs, including 5 in Chicago.  IYC believes that Illinois should invest in this proven strategy with
strong and verifiable, evidence-based results. Our communities want these programs, and our young people deserve them. The Coalition, in keeping with its mission, is exploring a variety of legislative and budgetary options for the restoration of state funding.  IYC is aware of the fiscal issues facing Illinois, but also recognizes that a wise investment of state dollars (coupled with local and federally leveraged dollars) will bring real returns to the taxpayers of Illinois through decreased social costs and reinvestment in declining cities and neighborhoods.  
     Kerry Knodle, President of the Illinois YouthBuild Coalition said, “YouthBuild has always had strong support from the General Assembly and state agencies, and has produced tangible results in our communities.  We welcome the efforts and assistance of the members of the General Assembly as we seek creative and constructive ways to restore funding to our most distressed cities and young adults”.   
For more information on the Coalition, contact Kerry Knodle, President, at 815-963-6236 or kknodle@youthbuildillinois.org. To locate or contact a program near you, visit our website at www.youthbuildillinois.org.
 About YouthBuild
Illinois YouthBuild programs provide a range of services for disadvantaged, unemployed and at-risk youth aged 16-24. In full-time year-long programs, low-income young people spend half their time completing their high school education and the other half learning job skills through building or renovating affordable housing for homeless and low-income families. They participate in personal and group counseling, receive mentoring from caring adult staff, earn an AmeriCorps education award for post-secondary education, and go on to college or jobs averaging $8.90/hour. Increasingly, programs are training young people in green construction skills and other green jobs to fulfill the need for greening America. 
About the Illinois YouthBuild Coalition 
Illinois YouthBuild Coalition, Inc. (IYBC) is a 15-year-old statewide nonprofit organization that advocates for increased resources, programs, public and private involvement, and public recognition of the need for expanding employment opportunities for poor, disadvantaged and minority youth in Illinois. IYBC is affiliated with the national YouthBuild Coalition, and there are YouthBuild programs located in: Chicago, Rockford, Bloomington, Aurora, East St. Louis, Mount Vernon, Waukegan, Springfield, Peoria, Godfrey, North Chicago, and Rock Island and Cairo.  IYBC is governed by a volunteer Board and its members include a broad-based group of supporters statewide, including YouthBuild programs, other youth organizations, partner organizations, financial institutions, other statewide coalitions. Since
1997, the Illinois YouthBuild Coalition has continued to work with the state legislature, our member service providers, and various operating agencies of the state, in order to promote effective youth workforce development policies and to establish regular and consistent statewide funding for all Illinois YouthBuild programs.

Five YouthBuild Programs in Illinois receive grant from Department of Labor.