DAS: Community Living Fund served 245 people in first half of 2023; waitlist and data issues noted

Melissa McGee, DAS program manager, presented the Community Living Fund (CLF) six-month report for Jan.–June 2023 and summarized service and cost trends.

Key figures McGee reported: 93 new referrals during the period; roughly 54% of referrals were eligible and about half of those approved for services; CLF served 245 participants with 62% receiving intensive case management through the Institute on Aging (IOA); 100 participants received rental subsidy via Brilliant Corners. Program costs increased by $383,957 over the prior six-month period; average monthly costs for home care and rental subsidies were reported at $3,047. As of September 2023 the CLF wait list had 24 referrals with an average wait of 125 days, and approximately 92% of those on the wait list were waiting for intensive case management.

Commissioners questioned a sharp decline in IOA-served clients in the period and asked about the high share of referrals with missing ZIP codes. Aditi Velour of the DAS planning team said a recent database transition disrupted intake data entry and likely accounts for the jump to about 40% of referrals coded with unknown ZIP codes; DAS is working with the vendor to resolve the issue before the next reporting cycle.

McGee and commissioners noted that the $3 million Dignity Fund contribution was suspended this year and that the service-provider working group is identifying top needs for any one-time funds DAS might allocate; the oversight and advisory committee is expected to make recommendations at its November meeting.

The report was informational only; commissioners asked staff to follow up on the IOA decline and data issues and to report back in the next six-month cycle.