Lawmakers overseeing the state’s budget heard from stakeholders last week on the need to fund certain human service initiatives.
That includes a $2 an hour wage increase for workers in the program that provides home care for seniors.
Alex Paterakos-Figueroa, who does government relations for SEIU Healthcare, told the House’s Appropriation-Health and Human Services Committee that the program allows over 130,000 seniors to remain in their communities by providing services at home for their daily living needs.
“Home care is by far the most cost-effective way for the state to meet its long-term care obligations,” Paterakos-Figueroa said. “When (the program) is not a viable, reliable choice for a senior, Illinois is likely to pay many more times when that senior gives up living at home and moves into a nursing home facility.”
Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, said roughly 12 million hours of care go unfilled because care workers leave the field for better wages in non-healthcare roles like Amazon.
The committee expressed support for the proposal, with Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, saying it’s an area where Democrats and Republicans can find common ground.
“It’s a saving for the state of Illinois overall, keeping people in their homes,” he said. “We’re asking special people to step up and take care of others.”
The committee also heard testimony on a plan to increase the wages of direct service personnel who work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by $2.
“We know we need to continue to grow this workforce, and we need to pay them adequately to attract people to this noble profession,” said Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake.
Josh Evans, CEO of the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, said the organization has seen progress in recent years thanks to state investments in the program. That includes a 23 percent drop in DSP position vacancy rates over the past year.
Additionally, he said 60 percent of their members are now looking to expand services and supports within the coming year.
“I can say, because of your investment, and if we can achieve what is outlined in this legislation, we are now seeing that a person can work as a DSP and have that as a career,” Evans said. “And that is no small outcome.”
The committee also heard an ask for just over $16.3 million to support the Department of Human Services’ Rehabilitation Services Bureau for grants to independent living centers.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed spending plan allocates $6.4 million, but Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, said more is needed so centers can do their work.
Michael Egbert, executive director of the Office of Opportunities for Access in Mount Vernon, said the office’s services ensure parents with youth with disabilities can find services and that individuals with disabilities can live independently.
“Underfunding challenges every center to be able to serve the unserved, one of the most difficult populations with the most significant barriers to help them stay independent in the community,” he said.
Another West proposal would allocate $7.5 million for a grant to the Illinois Network of Centers of Independent Living to administer and implement a program that provides accessibility modifications for homes of residents with disabilities.
West said the goal is to ensure that individuals can stay in their homes and are not forced to move to care facilities.
Rep. Hoan Huynh, D-Chicago, asked colleagues to consider a $4.8 million investment to cover grants, expenses and administrative costs in the state’s effort to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.
“I think these new state funding opportunities in (fiscal year) 2026 is aiming to increase access to clinical and support services for HIV, treatment and PrEP,” Huynh said.
Lawmakers also heard from advocates in support of $5.5 million to continue administering a statewide grant initiative that funds youth development and violence prevention programs. While the program is not new, Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said the recent fiscal year cut funding to $2.5 million, which “puts dozens of high-impact programs in jeopardy.”
They also heard an ask for just over $103 million for housing programs and related services for formerly incarcerated individuals.
“I feel like this is a bill that will help reduce recidivism and increase public safety,” West said