2005 Illinois Code - Chapter 20 Executive Branch 20 ILCS 1315/ Illinois Youthbuild Act.
(20 ILCS 1315/1)
Sec. 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the Illinois Youthbuild Act.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/5)
Sec. 5.
Purpose.
The purpose of the Illinois Youthbuild Act is:
(a) To enable economically disadvantaged youth, especially youth who have
not finished high school, to obtain the education, job skills training,
personal counseling, leadership development skills training, job
placement assistance, and long‑term follow‑up services necessary for them to
achieve permanent economic self‑sufficiency, while at the same time providing
valuable community service that addresses urgent community needs including the
demand for affordable housing and the need for young role models and mentors
for younger teenagers and children.
(b) To provide communities the opportunity to establish or rebuild
neighborhood stability in economically depressed and low‑income areas, as well
as historic areas requiring restoration or preservation, while providing
economically disadvantaged youth and youth who have not finished high school an
opportunity for meaningful participation in society.
(c) To allow communities to expand the supply of affordable housing for
homeless and other low‑income individuals by utilizing the energies and
talents of economically disadvantaged youth and young people who have not
graduated from high school.
(d) To foster the development of leadership skills and a commitment to
community development among youth.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/10)
Sec. 10.
Definitions.
In this Act:
"Applicant" means a public or private not‑for‑profit agency
eligible to provide education and employment training under federal or State
employment training programs.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Human Services.
"Very low‑income" means a person or household whose income is at or below 50%
of the median family income, adjusted for household size, for the county
where the household is located.
"Youthbuild" means any program that provides disadvantaged youth with
opportunities for employment, education, leadership development,
entrepreneurial skills development, and training in the construction or
rehabilitation of housing for special need populations, very low‑income
households, or low‑income households.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/15)
Sec. 15.
Program requirements.
The Secretary is authorized to make
grants
to applicants for the
purpose of carrying out Youthbuild programs as approved under this Section.
All programs funded pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall reflect
strong youth and community involvement. In addition, funding provided under
this Section shall be used by each Youthbuild program to provide, at a minimum,
the following services:
(a) Acquisition, rehabilitation, acquisition and rehabilitation, or
construction
of housing and related facilities to be used for the purpose of providing
home ownership for disadvantaged persons, residential housing for homeless
individuals, and low‑income and very low‑income families, or transitional
housing for persons who are homeless, have disabilities, are ill, are
deinstitutionalized, or have special needs, and rehabilitation or construction
of
community facilities owned by not‑for‑profit or public agencies.
(b) Integrated education and job skills training services and activities
which
are evenly divided within the program, with 50% of students' time spent in
classroom‑based instruction, counseling, and leadership development
instruction and 50% of their time spent in experiential training on the
construction
site. The programs shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:
(1) An education component which includes basic |
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skills instruction, secondary education services, and other activities designed to lead to the attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent. The curriculum for this component shall include math, language arts, vocational education, life skills training, social studies related to the cultural and community history of the students, leadership skills, and other topics at the discretion of the programs. Bilingual services shall be available for individuals with limited‑English proficiency. The desired minimum teacher to student ratio shall be one teacher for every 18 students.
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(2) A work experience and skills training component
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apprenticeship program that includes the construction and rehabilitation activities described in subsection (a). The process of construction must be coupled with skills training and with close on‑site supervision by experienced trainers. The curriculum for this component shall contain a set of locally agreed upon skills and competencies that are systematically taught, with a student's mastery assessed individually on a regular, ongoing basis. Safety skills shall be taught at the outset. The desired trainer to student ratio shall be one trainer for every 7 students. The work experience and skills training component shall be coordinated to the maximum extent feasible with preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
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(3) Assistance in attaining post secondary education
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and required financial aid shall be made available to participants prior to graduation.
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(c) Counseling services designed to assist participants to positively
participate in society, which should include all of the following if necessary:
outreach, assessment, and orientation; individual and peer counseling; life
skills training, drug and alcohol abuse education and prevention; and referral
to appropriate drug rehabilitation, medical, mental health, legal, housing, and
other services and resources in the community. The desired counselor to
participant ratio shall be one counselor for every 28 students.
(d) Leadership development training that provides participants with
meaningful opportunities to develop leadership skills such as decision making,
problem solving, and negotiating. The program must also encourage participants
to develop strong peer group ties that support their mutual pursuit of skills
and values.
All programs must establish a youth council in which
participants are afforded opportunities to develop public speaking and
negotiating skills, and management and policy making participation in specific
aspects of the program.
(e) Stipends and wages. A training subsidy, living allowance, or stipend
that will be no less than minimum wage must be provided to program participants
for the time spent at the worksite in construction training. For those
participants who receive public assistance, this training subsidy, living
allowance, or stipend will not affect their housing benefits, medical benefits,
child care benefits or food stamp benefits. Stipends and wages may be
distributed in a manner that offers incentives for good performance.
(f) Full time participation in a Youthbuild program shall be offered for a
period of not less than 6 months and not more than 24 months.
(g) A concentrated effort shall be made to find construction,
construction‑related, and nonconstruction jobs for all graduates of the program
who have performed well. The skills training curriculum shall provide
participants with basic preparation for seeking and maintaining a job.
Follow‑up counseling and assistance in job‑seeking shall also be provided to
participants for the 12 months following graduation from the program.
(h) All programs serving 28 trainees or more are required to have a
full‑time director responsible for the coordination of all aspects of the
Youthbuild program.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/20)
Sec. 20.
Eligible activities.
Implementation grants may be used to carry
out the activities listed in Section 15. Other eligible activities include the
following:
(a) Legal fees for housing acquisition.
(b) Administrative costs of the applicant which may not exceed 15% of the
amount of assistance provided, or such higher
percentage as the Secretary determines is necessary to support capacity
development of a private nonprofit community‑based organization.
(c) Defraying costs for the ongoing training and technical assistance needs
of the recipient that are related to developing and carrying out the Youthbuild
program including:
(1) The Secretary may reserve up to 5% of the |
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Illinois Youthbuild program appropriations to enter into a contract with Youthbuild USA to provide assistance to the Secretary in the provision of training and to technical assistance to, or in the management, supervision, and coordination of, Youthbuild programs under this Act.
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(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/25)
Sec. 25.
Eligible participants.
Eligible participants are youth
16 to 24 years old who are economically disadvantaged as defined in United
States Code, Title 29, Section 1503, and who are part of one of the following
groups:
(a) Persons who are not attending any school and have not received a
secondary school diploma or its equivalent.
(b) Persons currently enrolled in a traditional or alternative school
setting or a GED program and who are in danger of dropping out of school.
(c) Very low‑income persons.
Up to 25% of the participants in the program may be
individuals who do not meet the requirements of subsections (a), (b), and (c),
but who have educational needs despite the attainment of a high school diploma.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/30)
Sec. 30.
Selection criteria.
Priority in the awarding of funds
under this Act shall be given to applicants with experience in operating
Youthbuild programs.
Organizations claiming to have operated Youthbuild programs must be licensed
by Youthbuild USA or be organizations that have received federal HUD
Youthbuild funding.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/35)
Sec. 35.
Eligible entities.
Those eligible to be awarded funds under
this Act are not‑for‑profit private agencies, or public agencies with
experience operating a Youthbuild program or
with a plan to incubate a Youthbuild program until it can be established as a
not‑for‑profit private agency.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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(20 ILCS 1315/40)
Sec. 40.
Application requirements.
The Secretary shall require that an
application for Youthbuild funds under this Act contain at a minimum:
(1) a request for an implementation grant, specifying the amount of the
grant requested and its proposed uses;
(2) a description of the applicant and a statement of its qualifications,
including a description of the applicant's past experience running a Youthbuild
program, and with housing rehabilitation or construction and with youth and
youth education, youth leadership development and employment training programs,
and its relationship with local unions and youth apprenticeship programs, and
other community groups;
(3) a description of the proposed construction site for the program and
evidence of site control;
(4) a description of the educational and job training activities, work
opportunities, and other services that will be provided to participants;
(5) a description of the proposed construction or rehabilitation activities
to be undertaken and the anticipated schedule for carrying out such activities;
(6) a description of the manner in which eligible youths will be recruited
and selected, including a description of the arrangements which will be made
with community‑based organizations, local educational agencies, including
agencies of Native American nations,
public assistance agencies, the courts of jurisdiction for status and youth
offenders, shelters for homeless individuals and other agencies that serve
homeless youth, foster care agencies, and other appropriate public and private
agencies;
(7) a description of the special efforts that will be undertaken to recruit
eligible young women (including young women with dependent children) with
appropriate supports, especially childcare;
(8) a description of how the proposed program will be coordinated with other
federal, State, and local activities and activities conducted by Native
American
nations, including public schools, national service, crime prevention programs,
vocational, adult, and bilingual education programs, and job training;
(9) assurances that there will be a sufficient number of adequately
trained supervisory personnel in the program who have attained the level of
journeyman or its equivalent;
(10) a description of the applicant's relationship with any local building
trade unions which may exist, regarding their involvement in training, and the
relationship of the Youthbuild program with established apprenticeship
programs;
(11) a description of activities that will be undertaken to develop the
leadership skills of participants, including their role in decision making;
(12) a detailed budget and a description of the system of fiscal controls
and auditing and accountability procedures that will be used to ensure fiscal
soundness;
(13) a description of any contracts and arrangements entered into between
the applicant and other agencies and entities including all in‑kind donations
and grants from both public and private entities that will serve to augment
Illinois Youthbuild Act funds;
(14) identification and description of the financing proposed for
any:
(A) acquisition of the property;
(B) rehabilitation; or
(C) construction;
(15) identification and description of the entity that will operate and
manage the property;
(16) a certification that the applicant will comply with the requirements of
the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and
will affirmatively further fair housing; and
(17) the qualifications and past experience of the person who will fill the
full‑time program director position.
(Source: P.A. 90‑247, eff. 1‑1‑98.)
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