State Independent Living Council warns housing, workforce and case‑management gaps push people with disabilities into nursing homes

Mel Levitan, executive director of the Idaho State Independent Living Council, told the Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee that shortages of accessible housing, a lack of direct support professionals and limited case‑management services are contributing to younger people entering nursing homes and to people remaining institutionalized longer than necessary.

The council — a volunteer body that coordinates with Idaho’s three regional centers for independent living and state agencies — presented findings from its statewide needs assessment and its current three‑year state plan, and highlighted concerns raised in a Department of Justice report dated Jan. 16, 2025. Levitan said the average annual cost figures in the DOJ report show that home and community‑based services (HCBS) typically cost less than $20,000 per year, while a nursing home stay averages about $85,800 annually, underscoring both fiscal and community impacts.

Levitan framed the council’s work as supporting inclusion and access rather than asking for special treatment. "It’s not about getting more. It’s just about being able to get here and participate," he said, describing basic access needs such as functioning elevators, sight lines at lecterns and hearing‑assistive audio. He described the SILC as a 17‑to‑24 member volunteer council with four ex‑officio agency members and a staff of four who coordinate statewide activities and partner with Centers for Independent Living.

The council reported results from a recent statewide assessment: staff said they heard from about 871 Idahoans during outreach and that 304 of Idaho’s 44 counties were represented in responses. The assessment included roughly 29 listening sessions conducted over four months, and recurring themes were housing affordability and accessibility, access to health care and specialists (with Latah County cited as an area with shortages), transportation barriers in rural communities, and a shortfall of volunteer driver programs.

Levitan identified several specific concerns raised to the committee: lack of adequate case management (the state plans to add two hours per month of case‑management time, which Levitan said he believes will be insufficient), a shortage of direct support professionals, the impending loss of paid family supports, and an extremely small share of housing that is accessible. He said those factors, together with a tight housing market, are increasing institutional placements for people younger than traditionally expected.

The council’s three strategic goals include promoting integration and equity for Idahoans with disabilities, strengthening network collaboration and leadership development, and increasing community‑based supports so people can live with greater independence. Objectives highlighted during the presentation included emergency‑planning inclusion, exploring a potential Idaho ABLE savings program, increasing engagement of transition‑age youth, and strengthening rural community access services.

Senator Wintrow questioned Levitan about what is meant by “integration, inclusion and equity.” Levitan replied with concrete examples, including physical access to meeting rooms and adjusted audio systems so people who use cochlear implants or hearing aids can participate.

Levitan offered to provide the committee three physical copies and an electronic copy of the Department of Justice report; the committee chair asked that the report be sent to the committee secretary for distribution to members. No formal committee action was taken on the presentation during the meeting.

The presentation emphasized the council’s limited resources — a four‑person staff and volunteer membership — and urged continued policy attention to housing, HCBS capacity and workforce supports to avoid higher fiscal costs and the loss of community participation for Idahoans with disabilities.