Advocacy Team
Updates from Access Living:
Illinois Housing Relief; Child Stimulus Checks; New Federal Special Ed Guidance
Access Living friends and allies:
Today, we’d like to share a few key updates that affect people with disabilities. Read on for more.
Illinois Covid-19 Housing Bill Becomes Law:
This week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a new law that provides $1.5 billion in rent relief and eviction protections to Illinoisans who are behind on rent during the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting in August, the State of Illinois will begin lifting its moratorium on rent evictions, in phases. Advocates have been gravely concerned for many Illinoisans who would not be able to meet their rent. This new law will provide a way for folks at risk of eviction to get help.
Federal Child Stimulus to Begin:
Starting July 15, millions of families with children will qualify for monthly stimulus checks based on their tax info and the number of children in the household. This is one result of the American Rescue Plan which was signed into law by President Biden in March. To learn more about who qualifies and how much to expect, please see this link. This is a new and critical measure to fight poverty across the country, and will be helpful to many families with disabilities and disabled parents.
Federal Special Ed Guidance on Returning to In-Person Learning:
The U.S. Department of Education has released a new document providing guidance on considerations for special education students returning to in-person learning. The link to the guidance is here. The guidance covers the students’ civil rights as well as guidance on a variety of situations including mask wearing, social distancing, remote learning and more. Be sure to share this with families, schools and special ed advocates nationwide.
Please share this information with interested advocates. Thank you for your advocacy and have a good weekend.