The aim of Community Integrated Living Arrangements, or CILAs, is to provide adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities with both the specialized care they need and the opportunity to achieve greater independence. CILAs, CLFs (Community Living Facilities), and other community-integrated care programs may have varying names from state to state, though the majority of these residential programs are impacted by recent federal changes. While the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act support CILAs & other state-specific residential programs at the national level, municipal zoning laws in some residential areas have prohibited their establishment. Last year, the Illinois House passed House Bill 1843, to prohibit local zoning laws against shared, non-familial housing, including CILAs. The bill has proceeded to the Senate, where it currently has bipartisan support for passage, although some representatives express concern about local control.
What CILAs Offer
The Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities report approximately 11,000 adults reside in one of the many CILAs operated by nearly 300 state-licensed agencies. These homes are divided into either Category 1 or Category 2 classifications — Category 1 provides housing and services for 4-8 adults, while Category 2 CILAs offer the same to a larger complement of 9-15 residents. CILA residents join a peer community among those with similar needs, and also engage with professional staff who offer not only baseline healthcare, but opportunities to learn new skills and possibly to seek gainful employment.
The CILA arrangement is not only a benefit to adults with I/DD who wish to gain greater autonomy for themselves, but also provides relief to aging caretakers concerned about their own abilities to continue supporting an individual with I/DD throughout their lifetime.
Zoning Friction and “Small Government”
In several areas across Illinois, local zoning provisions require CILAs obtain state licensing or a special use permit, and prohibit multiple CILAs from being constructed within a certain distance from one another. Distance restrictions are one of the focal points of the Illinois bill, with the bill’s sponsor — Rep. Suzanne Ness (D-Crystal Lake) — and its backers arguing stipulations place an undue and discriminatory obstacle upon where CILAs may be located. After meeting with advocates, she observed: “It was just really clear to me that this was an unnecessary burden on agencies that are trying to help vulnerable people.”
Opponents of the bill include the Illinois Municipal League, who have also broadly opposed Governor Pritzker’s “BUILD” Plan to reform land use and zoning restrictions. They argue that state-level control of local property is an overreach by Springfield officials, and represents a threat to the established shape of existing communities.
Despite this pushback, the bill’s supporters remain confident in its eventual passage and signing into law. The House vote was successful by a significant margin of 77-15, and the Senate version has the backing of eight co-sponsors, including the Deputy Republican Leader Sen. Sue Rezin and Caucus Whip Sen. Jil Tracy. For Tracy, the bill also holds personal meaning: Her brother lives with developmental disabilities, and zoning laws in her own town of residence have made it difficult to have him living closer to her in a CILA.
If passed, the provisions were originally intended to take effect in January 2027, although this date may be amended to give affected municipalities the time needed to rewrite their ordinances. The bill may also provide a model for future development of CILA-like and HCBS residences in other states, which will be of interest to many of the 8.5 million American adults living with I/DD.
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