The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented public health crisis—and unleashed waves of economic hardship to vulnerable communities in Illinois and across the nation.

This Poverty and Policy Summit presents diverse perspectives on the scale and dimensions of challenges facing vulnerable communities, families, and individuals, such as food insecurity, educational divides, and the looming specter of homelessness. Convened virtually by the University of Illinois System Institute of Government and Public Affairs and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Center for Social and Behavioral Science, the Summit features experts, including:
Associate Professor Andrew Greenlee, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Professor Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Assistant Professor Meghan Kessler, University of Illinois Springfield
Associate Professor Sage Kim, University of Illinois Chicago
Sally Kolb from Land of Lincoln Legal Aid
Assistant Professor Michelle Layser, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Professor Jason Mazzone, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Associate Professor Ruby Mendenhall, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Professor David Merriman, University of Illinois Chicago
Assistant Professor Chelsea Singleton, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Professor Benjamin Superfine, University of Illinois Chicago
Their presentations will give an overview of the economic situation, impact on vulnerable populations and people, and issues surrounding access to justice from food security to housing to education.