2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 310 - HOUSING › 310 ILCS 85/ - Homeless Family Placement Act.

(310 ILCS 85/1)
Sec. 1. 
		Short title. 
		This Act shall be cited as the Homeless Family Placement Act.
(Source: P.A. 88-366.)
(310 ILCS 85/5)
Sec. 5. 
		Policy. 
		The General Assembly finds that children have the most
success in
school when they have a stable learning environment, and the need for a stable
learning environment is especially
great for children from families that are experiencing a housing crisis.
The General Assembly further finds that the goal of school stability for
homeless children is best served if the entities arranging, referring, or
placing homeless families in shelter facilities take into consideration the
educational needs of the children.
(Source: P.A. 88-366.)
(310 ILCS 85/10)
Sec. 10. 
		Definitions. 
		For purposes of this Act:
"School of origin" means the school that a child attended when he or she was
permanently
housed or the school in which a child was last enrolled.
"Homeless family" means
a family that lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or
a family that has a primary nighttime residence that is any of the
following:
(i) a publicly or privately operated shelter designed     to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);
(ii) an institution that provides a temporary     residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
(iii) a public or private place not designed for, or     ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation.
"Referring agency" means any public or private entity that receives federal
or State funds for the purpose of arranging, referring or facilitating the
placement of homeless families with school age
children in shelter facilities.
"School age child" means a child between the ages of 2 and 22.
(Source: P.A. 88-366.)
(310 ILCS 85/15)
Sec. 15. Placement.
(a) Prior to referring homeless families to a shelter, the referring agency
shall consult with families and in making the referral shall consider the
following factors:
(1) the potential for the child's academic and social     success at the school of origin;
(2) a family history of domestic violence;
(3) the family's employment status;
(4) the family's job training opportunities;
(4.5) the military status of any member of the family     to determine the family's eligibility for State or federal benefits and other supportive services for homeless veterans and their families, including, but not limited to, housing or rental assistance, job training, and employment opportunities;
(5) the proximity of other familial support;
(6) the availability of shelter resources appropriate     to the family's needs; and
(7) other social, psychological and health     considerations.
Based on the above, a referring agency shall refer homeless families with a
school age child to the shelter closest to their child's school of origin
unless the parent determines that it
is not in the best interest of the child
or children to attend the school of origin or to be placed in a shelter near
the school of origin.
(b) If the parent chooses to be located in a shelter nearest the school of
origin and no space is available in that
shelter, the family shall be referred to or placed in an available shelter next
nearest to the school of origin unless the parent chooses otherwise.
(c) This Act shall not be construed to mean that a shelter facility must
serve any family not otherwise eligible for its services.
(d) As used in this Section, "military status" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 1-103 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
(Source: P.A. 103-86, eff. 1-1-24.)
(310 ILCS 85/20)
Sec. 20. 
		Notice. 
		A referring agency shall notify each homeless family
before referral or placement that they may select referral or placement in a
shelter located nearest their child's school of origin.  The agency
shall consult with the
family to learn of the location of the school and shall advise the
family that if the closest shelter is unavailable they can be referred or
placed in an
available shelter next nearest to the school of origin,
except when the referring agency is aware of threatened or actual physical
danger to any family member.  A referring
agency shall not discourage a family from selecting referral or placement
nearest
the school of origin.
(Source: P.A. 88-366.)
(310 ILCS 85/25)
Sec. 25. 
		Cooperation. 
		Each referring agency shall cooperate with local
and state educational agencies in implementing the provisions and purposes of
this Act.
(Source: P.A. 88-366.)