Townships Are Uniquely Positioned to Help Residents in Need
While townships are the oldest unit of government in the U.S., many people may not realize that one of the functions of a township is to provide financial assistance to qualifying residents facing a hardship in their lives.
Kane County has 16 townships including: Aurora, Batavia, Big Rock, Blackberry, Burlington, Campton, Dundee, Elgin, Geneva, Hampshire, Kaneville, Plato, Rutland, St. Charles, Sugar Grove and Virgil.
Townships are funded through property taxes and are mandated by the state to perform three distinct functions: assessment of real estate within the township for property taxes, maintain roads and bridges in the township/unincorporated areas, and offer financial assistance under the General Assistance (GA) Program. The General Assistance Program is designed to help alleviate the financial burdens individuals may face during a crisis period in their lives.
“Like all townships, Aurora Township offers rental assistance known as General Assistance (GA) for residents not receiving any other form of public benefits," said Aurora Township Supervisor Bill Catching. “Many of our GA clients are older, single adults unable to work and are in the process of applying for Social Security disability."
General Assistance is designed for township residents who do not qualify for any other assistance program, including state or (in some cases) municipal. In order to qualify, specific requirements must be met, including a willingness to work. Recipients must be actively searching for employment unless they are physically unable to do so.
In addition to General Assistance, some townships offer Emergency Assistance (EA) as well. In Aurora Township, renters who have been served eviction papers can qualify for emergency aid.
“Residents may receive a lump sum payment- usually about $1250- every two years," said Catching. “It is not uncommon for these clients to be two or three months behind in rent. Landlords must agree not to evict their tenant even if the amount offered by the Township is insufficient to settle the balance," he added.
General Assistance and Emergency Assistance are just two of the programs provided by townships to help its residents, among many others provided.
“Townships pride themselves on being the grassroots level of government. There are no layers of bureaucracy to navigate and because we are small, we look for ways to partner with others for more efficient services," Catching said.
