Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services Direct Assistance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Human Services Committee directs CSBG loan proceeds to DuPage Social Services Association for direct client aid
Summary
The DuPage County Human Services Committee approved directing roughly $57,000 in Community Services Block Grant loan proceeds to the DuPage Social Services Association to be used for small, direct client assistance, after staff described the funds' origin and proposed oversight.
The DuPage County Human Services Committee voted to direct Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) loan proceeds returned from Illinois Community Ventures Association to the DuPage Social Services Association (DSSA) to provide direct client assistance.
Mary Keating, director of Community Services, told the committee the funds are loan proceeds — payments that came back from businesses that received small-business loans years ago — and are not a return of the county’s CSBG award. “These are loan proceeds. This is not… a return of our CSBG funds,” Keating said, explaining that the proceeds are no longer subject to federal CSBG eligibility restrictions and can be used by nonprofit recipients for a wide range of purposes.
Keating said the county expects the amount to be about $57,000 and that staff worked with the state’s attorney and county finance to identify an appropriate flow for the funds. She said the department proposes sending the proceeds to DSSA, a 501(c)(3) affiliated with county community services that Keating said has operated for decades using private donations. “We want to use these funds for direct client assistance… gas cards, Jewel and Target cards,” Keating said, describing how staff use DSSA to meet immediate needs such as transportation or food for clients.
Committee members asked about oversight and the current DSSA balance. Keating said finance handles checks and that the board of DSSA consists of county employees; she also said she serves as DSSA president. A member reported the current DSSA balance is about $35,900. The committee discussed timing constraints — Keating said Illinois Community Ventures Association is dissolving, which limits the ability to delay a decision.
After discussion the committee approved the resolution directing the CSBG loan proceeds to DSSA. The motion passed on voice vote with the committee chair calling for aye votes.
The committee packet identifies parameters for DSSA assistance: small, immediate-value awards (Keating said most awards are in the $200 range with limited override authority up to about $400), and the funds would fill gaps for people who do not qualify for other programs.
The committee’s action does not change county CSBG program rules or create new county-funded client-assistance budget lines; rather, it routes returned loan proceeds to a private nonprofit affiliate for use under established DSSA practices.
