20 ILCS 1315/ Illinois Youthbuild Act.

(20 ILCS 1315/1)

Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Illinois Youthbuild Act.

(Source: P.A. 90-247, eff. 1-1-98.)

(20 ILCS 1315/5)

Sec. 5. Purpose. The purpose of the Illinois Youthbuild Act is:

(a) To enable economically disadvantaged youth, especially youth who have not finished high school, to obtain the education, job skills training, personal counseling, leadership development skills training, job placement assistance, and long-term follow-up services necessary for them to achieve permanent economic self-sufficiency, while at the same time providing valuable community service that addresses urgent community needs including the demand for affordable housing and the need for young role models and mentors for younger teenagers and children.

(b) To provide communities the opportunity to establish or rebuild neighborhood stability in economically depressed and low-income areas, as well as historic areas requiring restoration or preservation, while providing economically disadvantaged youth and youth who have not finished high school an opportunity for meaningful participation in society.

(c) To allow communities to expand the supply of affordable housing for homeless and other low-income individuals by utilizing the energies and talents of economically disadvantaged youth and young people who have not graduated from high school.

(d) To foster the development of leadership skills and a commitment to community development among youth.

(Source: P.A. 90-247, eff. 1-1-98.)

(20 ILCS 1315/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Applicant" means a public or private not-for-profit agency eligible to provide education and employment training under federal or State employment training programs.

"Secretary" means the Secretary of Human Services.

"Very low-income" means a person or household whose income is at or below 50% of the median family income, adjusted for household size, for the county where the household is located.

"Youthbuild" means any program that provides disadvantaged youth with opportunities for employment, education, leadership development, entrepreneurial skills development, and training in the construction or rehabilitation of housing for special need populations, very low-income households, or low-income households.

(Source: P.A. 90-247, eff. 1-1-98.)

(20 ILCS 1315/15)

Sec. 15. Program requirements. The Secretary shall, subject to appropriation, make grants to applicants for the purpose of carrying out Youthbuild programs as approved under this Section. All programs funded pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall reflect strong youth and community involvement. In addition, funding provided under this Section shall be used by each Youthbuild program to provide, at a minimum, the following services:

(a) Acquisition, rehabilitation, acquisition and rehabilitation, or construction of housing and related facilities to be used for the purpose of providing home ownership for disadvantaged persons, residential housing for homeless individuals, and low-income and very low-income families, or transitional housing for persons who are homeless, have disabilities, are ill, are deinstitutionalized, or have special needs, and rehabilitation or construction of community facilities owned by not-for-profit or public agencies.

(b) Integrated education and job skills training services and activities which are evenly divided within the program, with 50% of students' time spent in classroom-based instruction, counseling, and leadership development instruction and 50% of their time spent in experiential training on the construction site. The programs shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:

(1) An education component which includes basic skills instruction, secondary education services, and other activities designed to lead to the attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent. The curriculum for this component shall include math, language arts, vocational education, life skills training, social studies related to the cultural and community history of the students, leadership skills, and other topics at the discretion of the programs. Bilingual services shall be available for individuals with limited-English proficiency. The desired minimum teacher to student ratio shall be one teacher for every 18 students.

(2) A work experience and skills training component program that includes the construction and rehabilitation activities described in subsection (a). The process of construction must be coupled with skills training and with close on-site supervision by experienced trainers. The curriculum for this component shall contain a set of locally agreed upon skills and competencies that are systematically taught, with a student's mastery assessed individually on a regular, ongoing basis. Safety skills shall be taught at the outset. The desired trainer to student ratio shall be one trainer for every 7 students. The work experience and skills training component shall be coordinated to the maximum extent feasible with preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.

(3) Assistance in attaining post secondary education and required financial aid shall be made available to participants prior to graduation.

(c) Counseling services designed to assist participants to positively participate in society, which should include all of the following if necessary: outreach, assessment, and orientation; individual and peer counseling; life skills training, drug and alcohol abuse education and prevention; and referral to appropriate drug rehabilitation, medical, mental health, legal, housing, and other services and resources in the community. The desired counselor to participant ratio shall be one counselor for every 28 students.

(d) Leadership development training that provides participants with meaningful opportunities to develop leadership skills such as decision making, problem solving, and negotiating. The program must also encourage participants to develop strong peer group ties that support their mutual pursuit of skills and values.

All programs must establish a youth council in which participants are afforded opportunities to develop public speaking and negotiating skills, and management and policy making participation in specific aspects of the program.

(e) Stipends and wages. A training subsidy, living allowance, or stipend that will be no less than minimum wage must be provided to program participants for the time spent at the worksite in construction training. For those participants who receive public assistance, this training subsidy, living allowance, or stipend will not affect their housing benefits, medical benefits, child care benefits or food stamp benefits. Stipends and wages may be distributed in a manner that offers incentives for good performance.

(f) Full time participation in a Youthbuild program shall be offered for a period of not less than 6 months and not more than 24 months.

(g) A concentrated effort shall be made to find construction, construction-related, and nonconstruction jobs for all graduates of the program who have performed well. The skills training curriculum shall provide participants with basic preparation for seeking and maintaining a job. Follow-up counseling and assistance in job-seeking shall also be provided to participants for at least 12 months following graduation from the program.

(h) All programs serving 28 trainees or more are required to have a full-time director responsible for the coordination of all aspects of the Youthbuild program.

(Source: P.A. 95-524, eff. 8-28-07.)

(20 ILCS 1315/20)

Sec. 20. Eligible activities. Implementation grants may be used to carry out the activities listed in Section 15. Other eligible activities include the following:

(a) Legal fees for housing acquisition.

(b) Administrative costs of the applicant which may not exceed 15% of the amount of assistance provided, or such higher percentage as the Secretary determines is necessary to support capacity development of a private nonprofit community-based organization.

(c) Defraying costs for the ongoing training and technical assistance needs of the recipient that are related to developing and carrying out the Youthbuild program including:

(1) The Secretary may reserve up to 5% of the Illinois Youthbuild program appropriations to enter into a contract with Youthbuild USA to provide assistance to the Secretary in the provision of training and to technical assistance to, or in the management, supervision, and coordination of, Youthbuild programs under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 90-247, eff. 1-1-98.)

(20 ILCS 1315/25)

Sec. 25. Eligible participants. Eligible participants are youth 16 to 24 years old who are economically disadvantaged as defined in United States Code, Title 29, Section 1503, and who are part of one of the following groups:

(a) Persons who are not attending any school and have not received a secondary school diploma or its equivalent.

(b) Persons currently enrolled in a traditional or alternative school setting or a high school equivalency testing program and who are in danger of dropping out of school.

(c) A member of a low-income family, a youth in foster care (including a youth aging-out of foster care), a youth offender, a youth with a disability, a child of incarcerated parents, or a migrant youth.

Not more than 25% of the participants in the program may be individuals who do not meet the requirements of subsections (a) or (b), but who are deficient in basic skills despite having attained a secondary school diploma, State of Illinois High School Diploma, or other State-recognized equivalent, or who have been referred by a local secondary school for participation in a Youthbuild program leading to the attainment of a secondary school diploma.

(Source: P.A. 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23.)

(20 ILCS 1315/30)

Sec. 30. Selection criteria. Priority in the awarding of funds under this Act shall be given to applicants with experience in operating Youthbuild programs. Organizations claiming to have operated Youthbuild programs must be licensed by Youthbuild USA or be organizations that have received federal Youthbuild funding.

(Source: P.A. 95-524, eff. 8-28-07.)

(20 ILCS 1315/35)

Sec. 35. Eligible entities. Those eligible to be awarded funds under this Act are not-for-profit private agencies, or public agencies with experience operating a Youthbuild program or with a plan to incubate a Youthbuild program until it can be established as a program applicant.

(Source: P.A. 95-524, eff. 8-28-07.)

(20 ILCS 1315/40)

Sec. 40. Application requirements. The Secretary shall require that an application for Youthbuild funds under this Act contain at a minimum:

(1) a request for an implementation grant, specifying the amount of the grant requested and its proposed uses;

(2) a description of the applicant and a statement of its qualifications, including a description of the applicant's past experience running a Youthbuild program, and with housing rehabilitation or construction and with youth and youth education, youth leadership development and employment training programs, and its relationship with local unions and youth apprenticeship programs, and other community groups;

(3) a description of the proposed construction site for the program and evidence of site control;

(4) a description of the educational and job training activities, work opportunities, and other services that will be provided to participants;

(5) a description of the proposed construction or rehabilitation activities to be undertaken and the anticipated schedule for carrying out such activities;

(6) a description of the manner in which eligible youths will be recruited and selected, including a description of the arrangements which will be made with community-based organizations, local educational agencies, including agencies of Native American nations, public assistance agencies, the courts of jurisdiction for status and youth offenders, shelters for homeless individuals and other agencies that serve homeless youth, foster care agencies, and other appropriate public and private agencies;

(7) a description of the special efforts that will be undertaken to recruit eligible young women (including young women with dependent children) with appropriate supports, especially childcare;

(8) a description of how the proposed program will be coordinated with other federal, State, and local activities and activities conducted by Native American nations, including public schools, national service, crime prevention programs, vocational, adult, and bilingual education programs, and job training;

(9) assurances that there will be a sufficient number of adequately trained supervisory personnel in the program who have attained the level of journeyman or its equivalent;

(10) a description of the applicant's relationship with any local building trade unions which may exist, regarding their involvement in training, and the relationship of the Youthbuild program with registered apprenticeship programs;

(11) a description of activities that will be undertaken to develop the leadership skills of participants, including their role in decision making;

(12) a detailed budget and a description of the system of fiscal controls and auditing and accountability procedures that will be used to ensure fiscal soundness;

(13) a description of any contracts and arrangements entered into between the applicant and other agencies and entities including all in-kind donations and grants from both public and private entities that will serve to augment Illinois Youthbuild Act funds;

(14) identification and description of the financing proposed for any:

(A) acquisition of the property;

(B) rehabilitation; or

(C) construction;

(15) identification and description of the entity that will operate and manage the property;

(16) a certification that the applicant will comply with the requirements of the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and will affirmatively further fair housing; and

(17) the qualifications and past experience of the person who will fill the full-time program director position.

(Source: P.A. 95-524, eff. 8-28-07.)

(20 ILCS 1315/45)

Sec. 45. Annual report. The Department of Human Services shall prepare an annual report summarizing costs and outcome data associated with the Youthbuild programs. The report must include, but not be limited to, the following information: (i) the number of participants in the program, (ii) the average cost per participant, (iii) the number of participants who achieve a high school diploma or its equivalent, and (iv) the number of projects completed by Youthbuild participants during that year. The Department must submit the report to the General Assembly by July 1, 2008 and by July 1 of each year thereafter.

(Source: P.A. 95-524, eff. 8-28-07.)