Congregate Care Facilites

The Northwest suburbs are home to many congregate care facilities, often called group homes. These facilities play a vital role in housing and caring for many of the most vulnerable people in our society. While I understand the state law that prevents communities from limiting congregate care facilities, I am deeply concerned that they have taken away the ability of local governments to regulate them. Our own police and fire departments are called to these facilities thousands of times every year. In many cases, it is because they lack the staff to care for the residents they have committed to care for, so they depend on local public safety to help care for the basic needs of their residents, such as lifting them if they fall out of bed. Municipalities must have the ability to intervene when group home operators are not meeting the basic needs of their residents.

https://www.lmc.org/news-publications/news/all/bill-to-restore-city-authority-over-group-assisted-living-facility-licensing-heard-in-the-house/