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Tazwood CEO says agency processed more than 11,000 LIHEAP applications; seeks permanent provider status
Summary
Lindsay Nance, CEO of Tazwood Community Services, told the board the agency has taken over 11,000 LIHEAP applications to date with about 9,700 approvals (91% approval rate through February); she outlined CSBG programs (water assistance, car repair, dental, weatherization) and said the state decision on permanent designation is due within roughly two months.
Lindsay Nance, chief executive officer of Tazwood Community Services, briefed the Peoria County board on the agency's role as the emergency LIHEAP provider and on Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) programs now operating in the county.
"We have taken over 10,000 applications. We're over 11,000 now," Nance told the board and said the agency had approved more than 9,700 applications in the reporting period through the end of February, a 91% approval rate in her summary. She said Peoria County accounts for roughly 42% of the agency's LIHEAP spending, above the 38% allocation the county would represent by funding share.
Nance outlined operational constraints and remedies: Tazwood had eight weeks to stand up an office, hire staff and equip operations when the state asked it to be the emergency provider; that rapid start contributed to a current office location outside some high-need zip codes, she said, and the agency plans new outreach and a move to a 4,000–6,000 square-foot office within the 61602–61606 zip-code range if awarded permanent status.
On CSBG-supported assistance, Nance said the water/sewer bill assistance program had approved 105 applications totaling about $30,000, the car-repair program helps households keep vehicles for work, and a dental assistance program covers work not paid by insurance. Weatherization work for the agency totaled 34 homes (six in Peoria County), and an emergency furnace program had assisted 93 people across the agency's territory, 30 of whom were in Peoria County.
Board members asked about outreach and appointment backlogs. Member Coates raised concerns about appointment wait times — Nance said urgent shut-off cases are triaged immediately and the agency maintains crisis staff for walk-ins and immediate phone transfers. She said the state has signaled funding could be extended past a potential May–June runout and the designation application process through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is currently live, with a decision expected in about two months.
Nance closed by listing staffing increases, plans to recruit weatherization contractors, and a proposal to add nine Peoria County seats to the agency's tripartite board if Tazwood becomes the permanent provider.
