September 20, 2022
Each year the Federal Government passes a budget and allocates a certain amount of funds to support the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs). The funds support the five core services that Centers are mandated to provide. The five core services are:
- Information & Referral
- Peer Support
- Skills Training
- Advocacy
- Transition Services
This year, NCIL requested 250 million dollars. View our original request. President Biden requested $160.2 million and subsequently, Congress recommended funding for Independent Living at the following levels:
- Senate appropriation – $127 million
- House appropriation – $140 million
Currently, Congress is trying to reconcile the amounts proposed by the House and Senate. The current Federal funding for the Independent Living Program is $118,183,000. While both the House and Senate amounts are increases, they do fall short of NCIL’s original ask of 250 million dollars, and it is half of what we really need to begin to fund the IL Program nationally. Next year NCIL will be requesting 500 million dollars for Independent Living.
As shown in the chart above, the funding for Independent Living Programs has been relatively level-funded until 2018. Over that time, we have fallen well behind the average cost of living and consumer price index increases, averaging above 2% annually. Comparatively, the Independent Living Program has continued to be significantly underfunded.
If funding for the Independent Living Program had included a modest 2% annual increase over this time period, Independent Living funding would be on target for the amount in the House appropriation.
Had we been receiving a 5% annual increase, we would be near the amount from NCIL’s request of $250 million. An increase to $140 million would bring funding for the Centers for Independent Living and the Independent Living Program to a level more aligned with increasing costs.
