Commission on the Elimination of Poverty releases recommendations to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015 in Illinois

After a year of conversations, hearings, and research, the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign is happy to announce that the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty officially released its comprehensive plan for cutting extreme poverty in half in Illinois by 2015. The Commission's Plan provides a timeline for program and funding priorities to cut extreme poverty, and was released in December in conjunction with International Human Rights Day.

Now that we know what needs to be done to protect the human rights of the over 760,000 Illinoisans living in extreme poverty, the real work begins.

The report, Building a Pathway to Dignity and Work: A Plan to Cut Extreme Poverty in Half by 2015 in Illinois, includes substantive, measurable policy recommendations that will increase stability and opportunity for Illinois’s most vulnerable citizens. These recommendations were released in a press briefing on December 9 and highlighted through the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign's Virtual Day of Action to celebrate International Human Rights Day on December 10.

Read the Commission's report.

Hear press briefing speeches from Commission Chair Grace Hou, Senator Michael Frerichs, Representative Karen Yarborough, and others at the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign’s Virtual Day of Action.

Read more about the recommendations, hear agency and client testimonies, and take quizzes on your human rights knowledge.