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91_HB2198ham002
LRB9105224MWgcam04
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2198
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 2198 by replacing
3 the title with the following:
4 "AN ACT to amend the Homelessness Prevention Act by
5 changing Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 13 and by adding
6 Sections 4.5 and 9.5"; and
7 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
8 following:
9 "Section 5. The Homelessness Prevention Act is amended
10 by changing Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 13 and by
11 adding Sections 4.5 and 8.5 as follows:
12 (310 ILCS 70/2) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1302)
13 Sec. 2. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
14 finds that homelessness frequently results from a temporary
15 economic crisis such as a temporary loss of employment,
16 medical emergency, or loss or interruption of public
17 benefits. It is also found that the prevention of
18 homelessness, as opposed to providing temporary shelter or
19 offering other short-term solutions to persons who become
20 homeless, is cost-effective, preserves family self-respect
21 and helps to keep families intact.
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1 The General Assembly also finds that short-term
2 interventions for the prevention of homelessness serve to
3 prevent the need for long-term assistance programs that are
4 more costly to taxpayers.
5 (Source: P.A. 86-1454.)
6 (310 ILCS 70/3) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1303)
7 Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8 (a) "Department" means the Department of Human Services
9 (acting as successor to the Illinois Department of Public Aid
10 under the Department of Human Services Act).
11 "Grantee" means a county, a township, a municipality, or
12 an Illinois not-for-profit corporation receiving grants
13 authorized by this Act.
14 (b) "Household" means 2 or more persons residing
15 together, or a person living alone.
16 "Service area" means the county, township, municipality,
17 or other geographical area served by a grantee under this
18 Act.
19 (Source: P.A. 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)
20 (310 ILCS 70/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1304)
21 Sec. 4. Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program.
22 (a) The Department shall establish a family homelessness
23 prevention and assistance program to stabilize families in
24 their existing homes, to shorten the amount of time that
25 families stay in emergency shelters, and to assist families
26 with securing affordable transitional or permanent housing.
27 The Department shall make grants, from funds appropriated to
28 it from the Homelessness Prevention Fund, to develop and
29 implement homelessness prevention and assistance projects
30 under this Act. The Department is authorized to establish a
31 Homeless Prevention Demonstration Program, but only if the
32 State receives federal matching funds for expenditures made
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1 by the State under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program
2 authorized by Section 12-4.5 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.
3 No funds from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program
4 authorized by Section 12-4.5 of the Illinois Public Aid Code
5 may be used for this demonstration program.
6 (b) To fund this demonstration program, there is created
7 in the State Treasury a fund to be known as the Homelessness
8 Prevention Fund. As permitted by Section 12-5 of the
9 Illinois Public Aid Code, the Department, with the consent of
10 the Governor, may deposit into the Homelessness Prevention
11 Fund any or all federal funds received as reimbursement for
12 food and shelter assistance under the Emergency Food and
13 Shelter Program authorized by Section 12-4.5 of the Illinois
14 Public Aid Code. Moneys in the Fund, subject to
15 appropriation, may be expended for the purposes of this Act.
16 Under this demonstration program, grants shall be made on
17 behalf of households, in times of crisis, which might
18 otherwise become homeless. Grants may be made from funds
19 appropriated for the purposes of this Act the program and
20 from any federal funds or funds from other sources which are
21 made available for the purposes of this Act this program.
22 Grants shall be made under this Act the program only to the
23 extent that such funds are available. The Department may
24 limit the design and operation of the program to certain
25 areas of the State. The Department may administer the
26 program or may contract with a private nonprofit social
27 service agency to administer the program.
28 (Source: P.A. 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)
29 (310 ILCS 70/4.5 new)
30 Sec. 4.5. Grant eligibility. The Department shall award
31 grants to grantees that agree to focus their emergency
32 response systems on homeless prevention and securing
33 permanent or transitional housing for homeless households.
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1 The Department shall consider the extent to which the
2 proposed project activities demonstrate ways in which
3 existing resources in a service area may be more effectively
4 coordinated. Priority in awarding grants will be given to
5 applicants participating in an established continuum of care.
6
7 (310 ILCS 70/5) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1305)
8 Sec. 5. Eligiblility for assistance. Grantees may offer
9 assistance to households in their service area when: No
10 household shall be eligible for assistance unless:
11 (a) (Blank); the household meets categorical eligibility
12 for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program and
13 has an income equal to or less than the standard of need for
14 this program. The Department may establish, by rule, higher
15 income levels;
16 (b) the household is in imminent danger of eviction,
17 foreclosure or homelessness, or is currently homeless;
18 (c) the household documents a temporary economic crisis
19 beyond the household's control, evidenced by at least one of
20 the following conditions:
21 (1) loss of employment;
22 (2) medical disability or emergency;
23 (3) loss or delay of some form of public benefits;
24 (4) natural disaster;
25 (5) substantial change in household composition;
26 (6) victimization by criminal activity;
27 (7) illegal action by a landlord;
28 (8) displacement by government or private action;
29 or
30 (9) some other condition which constitutes a
31 hardship comparable to the other conditions enumerated
32 above;
33 (d) all other federal, State or local housing subsidies
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1 are unavailable have been exhausted; and
2 (e) the applicant demonstrates an ability to meet the
3 prospective rental obligation after the assistance has been
4 granted based on current or anticipated income.
5 (Source: P.A. 86-1454.)
6 (310 ILCS 70/6) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1306)
7 Sec. 6. Forms of assistance. Assistance offered to
8 households by grantees under the demonstration program shall
9 include but not be limited to the following:
10 (a) payment of a rent arrearage in an amount established
11 as necessary to defeat the eviction, but shall in no event be
12 greater than 3 months of rental arrears; or
13 (b) payment of a rent deposit or security deposit and
14 payment of not more than 2 months rent;.
15 (c) payment of utility bills and arrearages; or
16 (d) support services, where appropriate, to prevent
17 homelessness or repeated episodes of homelessness.
18 (Source: P.A. 86-1454.)
19 (310 ILCS 70/8) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1308)
20 Sec. 8. Payment of assistance. Assistance provided
21 under this Act may be paid to a landlord, utility company, or
22 other vendor who provides housing or other services to an
23 applicant for assistance.
24 (Source: P.A. 86-1454.)
25 (310 ILCS 70/9) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1309)
26 Sec. 9. Staff accepting applications; training and
27 experience. A grantee's staff accepting applications from
28 households for assistance under the program shall be trained
29 or experienced in the following: the operation of the
30 program and any regulations adopted in relation to the
31 program by the Department; identification of federal, State
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1 and local agencies and services which are relevant to the
2 program and the program's clients; dissemination of
3 information relating to the program; intake, screening and
4 referral procedures; and other areas to be determined by the
5 Department. If the Department contracts with a private
6 entity for the operation of the program, the Department shall
7 ensure that the staff of the entity have experience and
8 training as specified in this Section.
9 (Source: P.A. 86-1454.)
10 (310 ILCS 70/9.5 new)
11 Sec. 9.5. Consultation. Grantees shall consult on a
12 regular basis with the local established continuum of care in
13 preparing the project proposal and in the design,
14 implementation, and evaluation of the project.
15 (310 ILCS 70/13) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1313)
16 Sec. 13. Report. The Department shall report on program
17 activities that provide assistance or services to homeless
18 persons under this Act as part of its annual report to the
19 General Assembly. The Department shall conduct an evaluation
20 of the program and present the findings from the evaluation
21 in a report to the General Assembly and the Governor no later
22 than 5 months after the first fiscal year of operation.
23 (Source: P.A. 86-1454.)
24 (310 ILCS 70/7 rep.)
25 Section 10. The Homelessness Prevention Act is amended
26 by repealing Section 7.".