Illinois stands out in the Midwest for unaffordable housing – 34 percent of Illinois households spend more than 30 cents per dollar of income on housing, more than any other state in the region.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...