Kane shortchanging mentally ill

On Aug. 25, the Kane County Community Development Block Grant staff held a public hearing on the consolidated annual performance and evaluation report. This report describes the housing and community development activities Kane County and the Kane-Elgin Consortium undertook in program year 2007 with funds received under two programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Leagues of Women Voters of Kane County made two public comments during this public hearing. The first part of our testimony addresses the inadequate funding from this consortium for people with serious mental illness and developmental disabilities.

Although the consortium spent $2 million during fiscal year 2007, only $50,000 was committed to long-term housing for people with developmental disabilities, and this money was actually committed in fiscal year 2005. During fiscal year 2007, no money was committed to long-term housing for people with mental illness or developmental disabilities.

The second part of our testimony concerns the access to public records. The draft report was given out at the meeting Aug. 25, with all testimony due by Aug. 28. This allows poor public oversight to the use of public funds.

The CDBG reform act of 2006 requires the CDBG program to be fully transparent and make available on a public Web site every grant application, public expenditure and standardized performance measure. We request that the CDBG consortium meet these transparency requirements.

For full text of the testimonies, go to www.lwvgenstc.org/news.html. To read the two- year study regarding the services in Kane County for people with developmental delay or serious mental illness, go to www.lwvgenstc.org/mhdd_study.html.

Kimberley Haag

League of Women Voters of Geneva/St. Charles

Buzz Hays

League of Women Voters of Batavia