093_HB2607eng HB2607 Engrossed LRB093 06994 DRJ 07144 b 1 AN ACT in relation to human services. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 State Advocacy Program for the Homeless Mentally Ill and 6 Developmentally Disabled Act. 7 Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly 8 finds that a disproportionate number of people in this State 9 are unable to secure housing for themselves and their 10 families, and that many people are forced to live in the 11 streets without shelter or in emergency shelters. A 12 substantial number of the homeless population are mentally 13 ill or developmentally disabled, and these homeless people 14 are more readily subjected to abuse. Despite current public 15 and private efforts, the homeless problem in this State is a 16 critical threat to the health, safety, and welfare of many 17 people and communities across the State. Therefore, it is in 18 the public interest that the General Assembly take immediate 19 and necessary action to ensure a more adequate response to 20 the needs of homeless people, including providing the 21 necessary funds to effectively carry out the provisions of 22 this Act. The General Assembly also acknowledges that the 23 complex problem of homelessness in this State is being 24 addressed by a rapidly growing range of services from the 25 State and local governments as well as the private sector. 26 This creates the need for coordination and planning in the 27 allocation of resources and in the design and implementation 28 of new programs to serve the homeless, and the General 29 Assembly finds that there is a need for a single entity to 30 coordinate these efforts. HB2607 Engrossed -2- LRB093 06994 DRJ 07144 b 1 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: 2 "Department" means the Department of Human Services. 3 "Developmentally disabled" means a person who has a 4 developmental disability as defined in Section 1-3 of the 5 Developmental Disability and Mental Disability Services Act. 6 "Homeless individual with mental illness or a 7 developmental disability" means a person who does not have a 8 home and has a mental illness or a developmental disability, 9 or both, including, but not limited to, a person with a 10 mental illness or developmental disability: (i) who is in a 11 shelter or drop-in center for the homeless, (ii) who is being 12 discharged from a State or private institution without a 13 residence to go to, (iii) who has a temporary residence or no 14 regular abode in which to live, or (iv) who has a history of 15 chronic residential instability. 16 "Mentally ill" means a person who has a severe mental 17 illness as defined in Section 2-3 of the Developmental 18 Disability and Mental Disability Services Act. 19 Section 15. Advocacy position. A staff advocacy position 20 within the Bureau of Homeless Services and Supportive 21 Services of the Department of Human Services shall be created 22 to do the following: 23 (1) Promote and facilitate the development of 24 community-based support systems to protect the health, 25 safety, welfare, and human and civil rights of homeless 26 individuals with mental illness or developmental 27 disabilities. 28 (2) Enter into agreements with local 29 community-based support systems to carry out the 30 provisions of Sections 20 through 30. 31 (3) Implement the programs established under 32 Sections 20 through 30. 33 (4) Conduct periodic programmatic and HB2607 Engrossed -3- LRB093 06994 DRJ 07144 b 1 administrative reviews of the programs created under 2 Sections 20 through 30 to ensure the delivery of quality 3 services. 4 (5) Serve as an advocate for homeless individuals 5 with other governmental and community service providers. 6 (6) Assist in the development of financial and 7 human resources to respond to the needs of homeless 8 individuals with mental illness or developmental 9 disabilities. 10 Section 20. Community-based support systems. 11 (a) The Department shall initiate requests for proposals 12 or continued funding forms for the establishment or expansion 13 of nonprofit agencies and organizations that will be 14 responsible for developing or coordinating comprehensive and 15 integrated community-based support systems for homeless 16 individuals with mental illness or developmental 17 disabilities. 18 (b) Through community-based providers, the Department 19 shall take appropriate steps to encourage homeless persons to 20 use these services and shall provide information on services 21 available to them. 22 Section 25. Community service agreements. 23 (a) Through agreements with community-based providers 24 and based on available funding, the following components may 25 be addressed within the service system for homeless 26 individuals with mental illness or developmental 27 disabilities: 28 (1) Community needs assessment and resource 29 development. 30 (2) Case management, including case review, 31 tracking, service evaluation, and networking. 32 (3) Training and staff development. HB2607 Engrossed -4- LRB093 06994 DRJ 07144 b 1 (4) Consultation with and technical assistance for 2 providers of shelters. 3 (5) Outreach services that are available at times 4 and in places where homeless individuals with mental 5 illness or developmental disabilities can be located, 6 such as overnight shelters. 7 (6) Emergency and crisis intervention services, 8 including the availability of shelter facilities. 9 (b) Each service area, local board, or local service 10 system must do the following: 11 (1) Assist in maintaining sources of income, food, 12 clothing, health care, counseling, training, and 13 employment, and in maintaining a stable living 14 environment within the community when possible. 15 (2) Develop individualized service plans for 16 homeless persons that may include, but need not be 17 limited to, the following: 18 (A) Personal assistance in securing and 19 maintaining housing, food, and clothing 20 arrangements. 21 (B) Crisis intervention services focusing on 22 finding appropriate alternatives to acute inpatient 23 hospital care. 24 (C) Assistance in securing and maintaining 25 income and health care benefits. 26 (D) Social and vocational skill development 27 activities as determined by the client's needs, 28 interests, and abilities. 29 (E) Money management assistance or 30 representative payeeship. 31 (F) Other self-help skills. 32 (G) Other counseling and referral and legal 33 and administrative proceeding services as needed. HB2607 Engrossed -5- LRB093 06994 DRJ 07144 b 1 Section 30. Refusal of services. The Department shall 2 explore the provisions of the Mental Health and Developmental 3 Disabilities Code in relation to homeless individuals with 4 mental illness or developmental disabilities who refuse 5 services for themselves. 6 Section 35. Grants-in-aid. The Department shall make 7 grants-in-aid to entities recognized under Section 20 based 8 on appropriations to provide services pursuant to Sections 20 9 through 30. The Department shall establish and publish 10 criteria in requests for proposals for determining eligible 11 services and the amount of grants-in-aid so that all 12 interested individuals, agencies, associations, and other 13 entities may have access to that information. 14 Section 90. The Illinois Housing Development Act is 15 amended by changing Section 10 as follows: 16 (20 ILCS 3805/10) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 310) 17 Sec. 10. Prior to making a loan commitment for a 18 development under this Act, the Authority shall approve a 19 tenant selection plan submitted by the applicant for the 20 loan. The Authority shall formulate regulations from time to 21 time setting forth the criteria for tenant selection plans. 22 These criteria shall include income limits, which may vary 23 with the size and circumstances of the family unit of 24 tenants. The income limits shall be sufficiently flexible to 25 avoid undue economic homogeneity among the tenants of a 26 development. The Authority may formulate regulations from 27 time to time for the alteration of occupancies of tenants who 28 exceed established income limits. The tenant selection plan 29 shall specify how many units in the development shall be held 30 available for rentals to persons of low or moderate income, 31 as defined in this Act, and for rental to homeless HB2607 Engrossed -6- LRB093 06994 DRJ 07144 b 1 individuals with mental illness or a developmental 2 disability, as defined in the State Advocacy Program for the 3 Homeless Mentally Ill and Developmentally Disabled Act. 4 In determining the number of units which shall be so held 5 available for rental to persons of low or moderate income and 6 for rental to homeless individuals with mental illness or a 7 developmental disability, as defined in the State Advocacy 8 Program for the Homeless Mentally Ill and Developmentally 9 Disabled Act, the Authority shall require that the number of 10 dwelling units so held reserved for them in each development 11 shall not be less than the number required by applicable 12 federal and State law. 13 In connection with any mortgage loan for a development, 14 the Authority may enter into an agreement with the owner of 15 the development as a part of the loan providing that as long 16 as the loan remains outstanding or such longer period as is 17 set forth in the agreement, the development shall be held 18 available for such rentals. Any such agreement shall, upon 19 being recorded in the manner provided for recording of deeds 20 or registered in the manner specified for registration of 21 titles, be binding upon any subsequent owners of the 22 development as provided by its terms. 23 (Source: P.A. 87-250.)