Advocacy Team
Support Disability Housing Advocacy!
Access Living friends and allies,
Today, we’d like to share two important housing advocacy opportunities. Of all the calls for help received by Access Living, requests for help with housing are by far the most frequent. While we work every day to increase housing opportunities for people with disabilities, we have two time sensitive requests. Read on for the details.
Support Funds for Home Modifications in Illinois
This week, the Illinois House Appropriations-Human Services Committee will hear HB 1587 HFA 1, which is a bill that would provide for $7.5 million towards a home modification program to be run by Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Illinois. There are 22 CILs in Illinois, including Access Living, and we know that one of the best ways to keep people living in their own homes is to ensure that they can get help for modifying their homes to meet disability needs.
How to support the Home Mods Bill (HB 1587 HFA 1)
The hearing will be virtual on Thursday, March 17 at 8 am. We need witness slips signed to show official community support for this bill.
Organizations and individuals can file electronic witness slips at this link. Please fill out out before Thursday! Any individual can file a witness slip.
When filling out the form:
- For firm/business/agency: put your organization, or “self”
- For representation: put your organization, or “self”
- For description: select “HFA 1”
- Mark yourself as a PROPONENT (this means you support it)
- For testimony: “record of appearance only”
Help Disabled Homeowners in Illinois
Disabled homeowners in Illinois can receive a property tax exemption, but they have to regularly prove that they are disabled again and again, even if their disability is permanent. This makes no sense. SB 1975 would provide for automatic renewal of the exemption. The bill passed the Senate and is now in the House.
How to support property tax bill (SB 1975)
Fill out witness slips by Thursday, March 17. The hearing for the bill will be virtual and is on 3/17 at 9am. We need your help to show official community support for this bill. Organizations and individuals can file electronic witness slips to support SB 1975 at this link. Please fill this out before Thursday! Any individual can file a witness slip.
When filling out the form:
- For firm/business/agency: put your organization, or “self”
- For representation: put your organization, or “self”
- For description: select “Original bill”
- Mark yourself as a PROPONENT (this means you support it)
- For testimony: “record of appearance only”
Please share this advocacy alert with fellow Illinoisans. Thank you for your help!