C.E.F.S. Impacted by the State Budget Impasse
•July 29, 2015•
The State of Illinois budget not being enacted for fiscal year 2016 beginning July 1 has led C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation to make changes in their program delivery system to include reduction of client services, days of service, hours of operation and employment of personnel to provide the needed services to clients.
According to Paul White, CEO, “The current budget uncertainty and impasse at the state level has led C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation to reduce client services effective July 1 and to lay off employees, change days of service and reduce hours of operation in the field offices effective August 3.
White added that, “Due to C.E.F.S. not having state contracts or state funding in place for some of our key human service programs, the agency has had to make decisions that impact the level of service for our clients at our local outreach field offices.”
On July 1, C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation stopped all direct client services in the following grants: the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Emergency Solutions Grant, the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, the Homeless Prevention Program, and the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program. These unfunded state funded programs will not provide direct client services until the state budget is approved and contracts are issued to C.E.F.S. The client impact has been no direct services to 2,115 low-income individuals which represents 955 vulnerable households not receiving needed assistance.