Mayor Emanuel today issued the below statement regarding state funding delays under Governor Bruce Rauner for a veterans' housing project on Chicago's Northwest side.

"Slapping a flag patch on your leather vest means nothing if you're slapping our veterans in the face. For over two years, while we've worked to provide housing for more than 3,000 homeless veterans, Bruce Rauner has delayed, derailed and defunded a long overdue plan to build housing for veterans here in Chicago. If the governor is planning to speak at the annual Veterans' Day ceremony in Chicago on Saturday, first he should act to support the veterans in Chicago."

Background:
In July 2016, Governor Rauner called [many human services, particularly] funding the home for veterans' "wasteful spending" and trumpeted having cut it from the budget. A year earlier Rauner also used his amendatory veto power to change a bill aimed at blocking funding cuts to home health care that was largely geared toward supporting veterans' housing and services.

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