Page 1 - County Bulletin (January 2020)_Layout 1_Neat

ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS

COUNTYBULLETIN

JANUARY 2020
JANUARY 2020

HR New Employment Laws
Seminar
February 26, 2020
Northfield Inn • Springfield, Illinois

Registration information coming soon!

Volunteers worked overnight conducting New initiative to invest
2020 Point-in-Time homeless count in Opportunity Zones

Lake County officials, in conjunction with the Lake County Coalition for the
Homeless (LCCH), other partners and community volunteers participated in the
annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count on January 22. Every year, volunteers
search Lake County to offer assistance and interview those affected by homeless-
ness. The information gathered is critical to understanding where resources should
be spent and helps evaluate current and future programs to aid the homeless.
This year, 88 volunteers made contact with 21 people experiencing homeless-
ness. This number is expected to increase as volunteers conduct further interviews The Department of Commerce and
and pull additional data from local shelters and agencies in the coming days. Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart and Vice-Chair Mary Ross-Cunningham announced a new initiative to invest
were in attendance and were joined by fellow board member Linda Pedersen and $12 million to support investment in the
Lake County Clerk Robin O’Connor. state’s Opportunity Zones. The agency
will be issuing a competitive notice of
“Lake County is working hard to ensure funding opportunity (NOFO) in the
unsheltered people have a place to call coming days.
home,” said Chair Sandy Hart. "The PIT DCEO will invite communities, non-
Count is a crucial part of measuring our profits, developers, and other stakehold-
ers to compete for $12 million in capital
progress because it produces a snapshot
grants to support projects in Opportunity
census of the homeless population,
Zones. These capital grants will offer
allowing us to connect people with the matching funds for infrastructure, utility,
resources they need to help transition remediation and other site preparedness
them from being homeless to finding related costs for affordable housing, com-
permanent housing.” munity development, and commercial
real estate projects that will create jobs
and growth. Once the NOFO is posted,
During the event, volunteers also distributed items that were donated to the
interested parties will have 90 days to
cause, including food, blankets and hygiene supplies, to every unsheltered person
prepare and submit grant applications.
they found. In addition, all of those individuals were offered transportation to a local
Opportunity Zones are defined as
shelter and were connected with organizations who can assist with providing
distressed or economically underserved
permanent solutions for employment and housing.
areas census tracts. Illinois designated
Lake County, LCCH and other local partners work year-round on many programs
327 Opportunity Zones in 2018, and a
and initiatives that aid the homeless.
map of the state’s zones can be found at
Learn more about the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless at lakecountyhomeless.org. illinoisopportunityzones.org/.