CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva is encouraging local homeowners to take advantage of assistance offered by the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund.

“This is a resource that will keep our community members in their homes by helping them avoid debt and even foreclosure in extreme cases,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “I encourage all eligible homeowners to apply for this opportunity and receive the support they need.”

The ILHAF program is providing free assistance of up to $30,000 to homeowners who have outstanding housing payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This relief is meant to cover the costs of past-due mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance and other late expenses. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority, which is responsible for facilitating the program, offers assistance with rent, utility and legal aid. These services can be found at www.illinoishousinghelp.org or by calling 866-454-3571.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many inequities in our health and economic systems,” Villanueva said. “Programs like this are especially important because they prioritize communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of the pandemic, which most often are comprised of individuals of color.”

These and other resources on the Illinois Housing Development Authority website are available in both English and Spanish.

SPRINGFIELD – La Senadora Estatal Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) dio a conocer la siguiente declaración en respuesta a la opinión filtrada de la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos para derogar la jurisprudencia icónica Roe v. Wade (1973):

“Hoy, hierbo de ira por la opinión filtrada de la mayoría, y temo por la seguridad de las mujeres y por nuestro futuro. Esta decisión es un ataque directo a los derechos de las mujeres, mismos que han estado bajo asalto durante la mayor parte de la historia de nuestra nación. El derecho a que una mujer decida es fundamental, por lo que remover las protecciones establecidas por el fallo de 1973 es crear una carga peligrosa e indebida para una de nuestras poblaciones más vulnerables. El retirar este precedente no detendrá a la gente de practicarse un aborto, pero lo hará mucho más arriesgado para quienes hagan uso de la inalienable autonomía sobre sus cuerpos para decidir las acciones que más les convienen.”

“Reciento y rechazo la noción de que forzar un nacimiento no representa una violación a los derechos de una persona bajo la Constitución de los Estados Unidos. Esta decisión no debe determinar la trayectoria de nuestra nación y de los estados en los próximos años. Elegir abandonar esta protección federal sobre la capacidad de una mujer para terminar su embarazo nos llevará por una ruta peligrosa en la que poco a poco nuestro acceso a un ambiente seguro es retirado hasta que lleguemos a un punto en donde haya solo inequidad. Estoy furiosa ante el uso de poder de parte de oficiales electos o designados apartados de las vidas y los intereses de la gente que dicen representar. Ellos no se detendrán hasta que tengan un control total sobre la mujer y sobre otras comunidades marginadas, lo cual es una aberración, es espantoso y degenerado.

“Mientras que Illinois seguirá siendo una luz de esperanza para quienes busquen refugio de estas horrendas prácticas, las implicaciones de esta opinión filtrada demuestran que debemos actuar ahora. Esta ruptura en la confianza en nuestras leyes es un gran retroceso que nos lleva a un lugar en el que no queremos estar, destruyendo el trabajo de muchos que sacrificaron sus vidas para edificar equidad en nuestro sistema de gobierno. Hoy es indudablemente un día terrible.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) issued the following statement Tuesday in response to the leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade (1973) decision:

“Today, I seethe with anger over the leaked majority opinion, and I am in fear of women’s safety and our future. This decision is a direct attack on the rights of women, which have been under assault for the majority of our nation’s history. A woman’s right to choose is fundamental, and to remove the protections set forth by the critical 1973 ruling is to create dangerous, undue burden for one of our most vulnerable populations. Removing this precedent would not stop people from seeking abortion, but it would make them far less safe for those who employ their inalienable bodily autonomy to decide the course of action that is best for them.”

“I resent and reject the notion that forced birth does not amount to a violation of a person’s rights under the U.S. Constitution. This opinion will no doubt determine the trajectory of our nation and our states over the next few years. Choosing to abandon this federal protection of a woman’s ability to terminate her pregnancy will lead us down a dangerous path in which little by little our access to safe and supportive environments is removed until we reach a point of blatant inequality. I am infuriated at the constant exertion of power by officials who are so far removed from the lives of the people whose interests they claim to represent. They will not stop until they have total control over women and other marginalized communities, and that is disgusting, appalling and degenerate.

“While Illinois will continue to be a beacon of hope for those seeking refuge from these abhorrent practices, the implications of this leaked opinion demonstrate that we must act now. This breach of trust in our law is a grand set back that takes us to a place we do not want to be, tarnishing the work of many who sacrificed their lives to build equity into our systems. It is a terrible day indeed.”

SPRINGFIELD –The tireless work of State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) to expand access to breastfeeding supplies is included in the new tax relief package to assist Illinois families.

“The impact breastfeeding supplies can have on the growth, development and health of both mother and child is major, and we need to do everything we can to ease any financial burden associated with raising strong and healthy children,” Villanueva said. “These tools can be vital to parenthood, and a mother’s access to these products should not be barred because of affordability.”

Senate Bill 157 provides significant tax relief to Illinois families and businesses, including an exemption on breast pumps and other supplies used to collect and maintain a mother’s milk supply. Earlier this session, Senator Villanueva passed the stand-alone legislation for the exemption. The final proposal was found in the bipartisan tax relief package that passed Saturday.

Mothers use pumps and related breastfeeding supplies to generate and store breast milk for a variety of reasons. However, financial barriers can inhibit a mother’s access to these necessities and prevent her from providing the best care she can to her child. With the help of Parity for Pumps, a coalition working to remove any restrictions to breastfeeding, Illinois aligns its practices with those of eight other states who already provide such exemptions.

“I’m happy to see this revenue package include these exemptions, and I look forward to seeing the benefits this initiative brings to Illinois families,” Villanueva said. “I am also proud to have played an integral role in helping mothers seize their preferred method of care for their babies.”

The tax relief plan was signed into law by the governor Tuesday.