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DuPage County community services reports housing projects, improved program outcomes and 2-1-1 accreditation
Summary
Community services staff reported progress on affordable housing projects, increased success rates in family self-sufficiency and housing supports, accreditation for the countys 2-1-1 system, and work to expedite guardianship cases for seniors.
Mary Katie delivered a community services update to the DuPage County Human Services Committee on June 17 covering housing developments, program performance, emergency rent assistance and outreach efforts.
Katie said the department is submitting a status-quo budget to meet the county deadline because of uncertainty around grant funding at the federal level. "To meet the deadline for next week, I'll be submitting strictly a status quo," she said, adding the department will revisit requests later in the summer as federal appropriations are clarified.
On housing, Katie said three affordable-housing developments are in process: Alden Horizon in Addison, a 61-unit seniors building under construction and targeting occupancy by the end of 2025; Tower Court Residence in Naperville, a 71-unit building in underwriting; and Full Circle Communities in Glen Ellyn, a 42-unit building intended for households at or below 60% of area median income and not exclusively for seniors. She described underwriting for these projects as complex because of multiple funders and environmental reviews.
Katie outlined program outcomes: the mediation program reported 74% of participants were satisfied with outcomes and 90% satisfied with the process; the family self-sufficiency program increased successful completion from 47% last year to a projected 57% this year. She credited staffing stability and consistent case management for improved results.
Emergency rent assistance work with five partner agencies has assisted about 450 households to date, with an average assistance of about $6,000 per household, Katie said. The department also achieved accreditation for its 2-1-1 intake and referral system from InformUSA, launched 2-1-1 text access, and exceeded a strategic growth target for 2-1-1 contacts.
Katie said the county is working with the state's attorney's office and the public guardian to expedite guardianship petitions for seniors in crisis, including identifying a former public guardian who will petition the court to speed appointments. She also reported Adult Protective Services had opened 424 investigations since Jan. 1 and the long-term care ombudsman had 156 cases.
Committee members asked about outreach for the senior fair; Katie said the event drew roughly 140 attendees and staff will explore broader municipal outreach in future years. No formal committee action was taken on the report.
