SOUTH JACKSONVILLE Even with Social Security, her late husband’s pension as a former Jacksonville police chief and her own pension, Wanda Irlam says she would have a hard time paying rent for most two-bedroom apartments.
“I think it would be very hard to find a place,” said Irlam, 84, a retired school food service worker who lives in the Jacksonville Affordable Housing development. “This is just a good place to live, and it’s very affordable and very safe.”
Her $382-a-month rent, which covers water and sewer service in this Morgan County village adjacent to Jacksonville and 36 miles west of Springfield, compares with other rents for similar apartments in the area that can cost $800 or more per month.
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Good Wednesday morning, Illinois. Another national moment has reminded us that we re all in this together.
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George Floyd, as well as reminders that problems persist in the criminal justice system.
“Today marks a moment where future generations can look back and see that we as a nation came together and rightfully demanded justice and accountability,” Chicago Mayor
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These are incredibly challenging times for middle-class and working families across our state. The COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating aftermath are only adding to the pain.
In the city of Chicago and Illinois’ more populous areas, the housing crisis is all too real and frightening. We have been battling a dwindling stock of affordable housing for years. What rented for $700 a month a few years ago now costs $1,500 a month. Property taxes have quadrupled. People have jobs and the incomes to live somewhere reasonably priced, but there is nowhere to turn.
Opinion
In the more rural areas of Illinois, the problems are almost reversed, yet equally frustrating. Populations have declined and jobs are scarce. Families with some security stay in their homes for many years, and developers simply do not have the means or the resources to build affordable homes and apartments. Those who must find a place to live often end up traveling long ways from home to make ends meet.