While most budget cuts proposed by City Council would slash the affected programs severely, one proposal might save money for the city without reducing services to residents.
The council is considering transferring Emergency Assistance Services – which doles out utilities subsidies, rent assistance and food vouchers – to Evanston Township, which already handles many of Evanston’s social services.
Emergency Assistance Services, run by the city’s Health and Human Services Department, cost the city $379,480 last year.
Under the proposal, the city would pay the township to handle most of these services. Contracting the program out would save more than $100,000 a year without reducing service, City Manager Roger Crum said.
The township is a legal entity that occupies the same geographical area as the City of Evanston. It is required by state law to provide general assistance to the poor and issue property tax assessments. As part of the general assistance program, the township helps residents with medical expenses and job training, said Patricia Vance, the township supervisor.
Since the township staff is already trained to provide social services, the township may only have to hire one person who speaks English and Spanish to fill a part-time clerical assistant position, Vance said. She said she is confident her staff can handle the extra caseload if it manages its time wisely.
Vance, who has 20 years of experience in the social services field, will submit a proposal to the city before the council’s Feb. 9 budget review session, outlining how she would transition the program to township control.
For years township officials have said they could provide the emergency assistance at a cheaper cost than what the city spends, but many city officials doubted this was possible, said Jay Terry, director of health and human services for the city.
While Terry said he is skeptical that the quality of service can be maintained after the transfer, he understands the council’s budget problems.
“Ideally, the low-income resident who needs the assistance shouldn’t see the difference” between the city’s service and the township’s service, Terry said.
Terry said the emergency assistance program was “an example of commitment the government has always had to low-income residents who have had a crisis.”
More than 1,800 Evanston residents applied for emergency assistance, and more than 800 received aid. Some were referred to outside agencies, including nonprofit and other federal and state agencies.
Residents may only apply for rent assistance or utilities subsidies once a year, Terry said. Typically, they receive help while waiting for approval from state or federal assistance programs.
If a family applies for assistance, but its need is so great that a voucher would not help enough, the family is usually referred elsewhere for help, Terry said.
“We only want to assist families where our money will make a difference,” Terry said.
