Section 650.40  Special Attention to Certain Applicants

Special attention shall be given to public and private entities  with operating budgets of less than $1,000,000 that are located in a depressed area, as defined in Section 3 of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act, and preferences for recommending grants to the State Treasurer may be given to these entities by the Committee.  [30 ILCS 790/5(a)]   For purposes of this Part, an applicant is located in a depressed area if the applicant meets one or more of the following conditions:

a)         The unemployment rate in the census tract where the applicant is located had an annual average unemployment rate of at least 120% of the State's annual average unemployment rate for the most recent calendar year or the most recent fiscal year, as reported by the Department of Employment Security;

b)         All or part of the census tract where the applicant is located has a poverty rate of at least 20%, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau;

c)         The percent of households in the census tract where the applicant is located who receive SNAP Benefits is 20% or higher, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau; or

d)         50% or more of the children in the census tract where the applicant is located are eligible to participate in the federal free or reduced-price meals program, according to reported statistics from the State Board of Education.

(Source:  Amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 437, effective December 21, 2018)