Re: Illinois officials approve $2 million in disability grants

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing this...I will try to get more info.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

Illinois officials approve $2 million in disability

grants

This article was in the paper today.....Wonder how many hoops you

have to jump through to get it; or where the money is going to come

from. I know my son doesn't qualify for it.

The Associated Press

Illinois officials have approved $2 million in grants for a program

that helps low-income seniors and residents with disabilities modify

their homes.

The grants are being allocated through the Illinois Housing

Development Authority's Home Modification Program. Officials say the

funds will be administered by 14 nonprofit organizations and public

agencies around the state.

The program helps individuals adds ramps, chair lifts and other

features to their homes. Residents who qualify can get up to $25,000.

Officials say the program allows people with disabilities to stay in

their communities and out of state institutions.

So far, the program has helped about 200 families since it started in

2006.

[Guest guest]

My parents might have to modify their home for mother and get

disability benifits for her. I need to start saving mine once they

start to use hers. My case from the workshop and my wife want me to

save for our own place.

>

> This article was in the paper today.....Wonder how many hoops you

> have to jump through to get it; or where the money is going to come

> from. I know my son doesn't qualify for it.

> The Associated Press

>

>

> Illinois officials have approved $2 million in grants for a program

> that helps low-income seniors and residents with disabilities

modify

> their homes.

>

> The grants are being allocated through the Illinois Housing

> Development Authority's Home Modification Program. Officials say

the

> funds will be administered by 14 nonprofit organizations and public

> agencies around the state.

>

> The program helps individuals adds ramps, chair lifts and other

> features to their homes. Residents who qualify can get up to

$25,000.

>

>

> Officials say the program allows people with disabilities to stay

in

> their communities and out of state institutions.

>

> So far, the program has helped about 200 families since it started

in

> 2006.

>

[Guest guest]

Here is part of the answer I received regarding the $2 million in disability

grants:

The grantees are listed in the press release. The funds will only service 118

homes. Access Living received $128,400 for Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will Counties

to serve 6 homes. That makes no sense since there are other CILs serving

DuPage, Lake and Will. Some of the grantees are Community Action Agencies which,

to my knowledge, have little experience with accessibility issues. The grantees

are:

Coles County Regional Planning and Development

Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council

Will County Center for Community Concerns (I live in Will County and have never

heard of this group)

Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials(, Pike, Brown and Schuyler

Counties)

ee Development Council

Access Living

BCMW Community Services (Bond, Clinton, Jefferson, n and Washington

counties)

City of Kankakee Community Development and Economic Agency

Tri-County Opportunities Council (Bureau, Carroll, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, Ogle,

Putnam, Stark and

Whiteside Counties)

Western Illinois Regional Council

Ramp Up Foundation (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties) (Never

heard of them either)

City of Springfield Office of Planning and Development

St. Clair Intergovernmental Grants Department

Wabash Area Development, Inc.

In a message dated 12/30/2008 2:51:30 P.M. Central Standard Time,

annford@... writes:

We have not been able to access these funds that I am aware of. Centers have

assisted folks with home mods when they were reintegrating from nursing homes,

but those funds came from the funding for the reintegration project. It would

be interesting to know who the 14 not-for-profit agencies are so we could follow

up and have a sense who to refer peop;e to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

Illinois officials approve $2 million in disability

grants

This article was in the paper today.....Wonder how many hoops you

have to jump through to get it; or where the money is going to come

from. I know my son doesn't qualify for it.

The Associated Press

Illinois officials have approved $2 million in grants for a program

that helps low-income seniors and residents with disabilities modify

their homes.

The grants are being allocated through the Illinois Housing

Development Authority's Home Modification Program. Officials say the

funds will be administered by 14 nonprofit organizations and public

agencies around the state.

The program helps individuals adds ramps, chair lifts and other

features to their homes. Residents who qualify can get up to $25,000.

Officials say the program allows people with disabilities to stay in

their communities and out of state institutions.

So far, the program has helped about 200 families since it started in

2006.

[Guest guest]

I am not any more clear on how to access this money after reading the two emails

I got... it was already dispersed to the groups cited and it is possible that

unless you have some relationship with those entities, you would not be able to

access this funding....here is another email I got about the grants in response

to my inquiries:

I guess if you wanted more info and really cared to pursue this, you could

follow up with a call to IHDA and ask for this Mr. Pluta...

Ellen

I only found the press release on the IHDA web site. The press release is only

days old. I would try to reach Bill Pluta at IHDA for more details. Were

these competitive grants (was an RFP issued)?

In a message dated 12/30/2008 4:04:00 P.M. Central Standard Time,

annford@... writes:

Has anyone contacted any of these grantees to find out their process of

determining recipients? I didn't know about Access Living, and don't know if

they're doing anything in collaboration with the centers in the other counties.

E funds are specifically to create accessibility, someone somewhere needs to

hold the grantees accountable for assuring that. If people are being turned

away, they deserve to know why and what recourse they might have. I would check

the IHDA website and see what they say about it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Mail.

Try it now.

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

Illinois officials approve $2 million in disability

grants

This article was in the paper today.....Wonder how many hoops you

have to jump through to get it; or where the money is going to come

from. I know my son doesn't qualify for it.

The Associated Press

Illinois officials have approved $2 million in grants for a program

that helps low-income seniors and residents with disabilities modify

their homes.

The grants are being allocated through the Illinois Housing

Development Authority's Home Modification Program. Officials say the

funds will be administered by 14 nonprofit organizations and public

agencies around the state.

The program helps individuals adds ramps, chair lifts and other

features to their homes. Residents who qualify can get up to $25,000.

Officials say the program allows people with disabilities to stay in

their communities and out of state institutions.

So far, the program has helped about 200 families since it started in

2006.

[Guest guest]

Thanks forthe info, Ellen. Hopefully SOMEBODY from IL will be able to

get access to something they need.

Pam,

Thanks for mentioning ITAP. I keep forgetting to check their website &

found that there is a JAWS program on there!!!

I just sent an email to Jane & am hoping to hear something in the

next couple days. My son would love to be able to navigate the

computer more independently.

Liz

[Guest guest]

Individuals in the Waiver programs already have access to home

modification monies, as well as assistive technology funding, all they

have to do is apply for it. I believe it is up to $15,000 every 5 years

Program Name: Adaptive Equipment, Assistive Technology, Home

Accessibility Modifications, Temporary Intensive Staffing, Vehicle

Modifications

Program Code: 53E, 53T, 53H, 53D, 53R, 53V

Funding Mechanism(s): _____ Grant ___X__ Fee- for -service

Narrative Description: Adaptive equipment (53E) includes devices,

controls, or appliances that enable individuals to increase their

ability to perform activities of daily living, or to perceive, control

or communicate with the environment in which they live. Assistive

technology devices (53T) are items used to increase, maintain or

improve a participant's functional capabilities. Home accessibility

modifications (53H) include those physical adaptations to the home

that are necessary to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the

individual as it relates to their developmental disability, or which

enable the individual to function with greater independence in the

home. Modifications to the home shall be covered only when they are

necessary to prevent institutional placement, to deinstitutionalize an

individual, or to enable the individual to participate in specialized

habilitative services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Temporary intensive staffing in a day program (53D) and temporary

intensive staffing in a CILA (53R) provide funding for additional time-

limited staffing to provide temporary intensive supports for

individuals currently receiving services who have a time-limited

immediate need for intensive staffing. Vehicle modifications (53V)

include vehicle adaptations such as lifts, door or seating

modifications, and safety/security modifications which assist

individuals with developmental disabilities in transporting.

Eligibility Requirements: For Programs 53E, 53T, 53H and 53V, the

individual must currently be receiving other waiver services.

Additionally, Program 53H is applicable only to CILA sites owned and

operated by the provider agency, the private residence of an

individual with DD or the family home where the individual with DD

resides. For Program 53V, the vehicle must be owned by the individual

with DD or the family of the individual with DD with whom they reside.

Program 53V funding is not available for vehicles owned or operated by

the provider agency. For Programs 53D and 53R, the individual must be

enrolled in a Division of DD funded adult waiver residential or day

program. Prior approval from the Division of DD is required for

Programs 53E, 53T, 53H, 53D, 53R, and 53V.

Priority or Target Population: Programs 53E, 53T, 53H and 53V are

provided only to individuals who are also receiving other waiver

services. Programs 53D and 53R are provided to individuals enrolled in

an adult waiver residential or day program funded by the Division of DD.

Expected Outcomes: The individuals served by these programs will

increase their ability to function in the environment in which they

live and will improve or maintain their current functioning or ability

level.

________________________________________________________________________________\

________________________________________________________________________________\

__________________

[Guest guest]

> I assume this funding is accessible through the Pre-admission and

Screening/Case Coordination Agency?

NOT if you live in SO. IL. I contacted them when I found out about

this program back in the Tech Talk papers months ago. They didn't

know anything about it. Said we were to go through the DT program.

They didn't know either.

I appreciate the info.....It looks like I NEED to check into the

Programs 53D & 53R....Think I'll need to get an email to Lilia this

weekend.

Liz

Programs 53D and 53R are provided to individuals enrolled in

> an adult waiver residential or day program funded by the Division

of DD.

> Expected Outcomes: The individuals served by these programs will

> increase their ability to function in the environment in which

they

> live and will improve or maintain their current functioning or

ability

> level.

>

>

>