Monthly Archives: October 2020

Emergency Back Up Provider Program:  Progress Center is now operating an Emergency Back Up Provider program.  In the early stages of the pandemic, Progress Center had a program that could place an emergency provider with someone in the Home Services program in emergency need of a personal assistant. The program specifically was to support people with disabilities whose personal assistant tested positive for Covid-19 or who for one reason or another could not work for reasons related to the pandemic. The program expired in August, but has now is reinstated at Progress Center. If you or someone you know is in need of an emergency provider, please contact Progress Center at 708-209-1500.

Personal Protective Equipment:  Progress Center has on-hand a supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). If you or a service provider with whom you work is in need of PPE, please contact Progress Center to request a package.

The Housing Authority of Cook County is opening its Housing Choice Voucher wait list on Monday, October 19, 2020. The housing authority will begin to accept wait list applications at 8:30 in the morning on October 19.  The housing authority will accept applications for the waiting list until Monday, November 2 at 4:30 p.m.  This allows people two weeks to apply.

This is the first time in many years that the Housing Authority of Cook County will open the voucher waiting list.  Most likely, there will be high demand.  The housing authority will place applications for 10,000 households on the waiting list. A computer-generated lottery system will determine the order of applicants on the wait list.  If more than 10,000 applications are submitted, a second computer-generated lottery system will determine which applications will be placed on the list.  Progress Center is not familiar with the lottery system. Our recommendation is for people to fill out and submit the application as soon as you can within the two-week window starting on October 19.

Here is more information about the housing choice voucher lottery.  This information was produced and shared by Age Options.

The Housing Choice Voucher program provides rental assistance to low income families so they can afford to live in the suburbs of Cook County.  Here are some of the details:

• Program is open from 10/19/20 at 8:30am until 11/2/20 at 4:30pm
• Apply online at myportal.thehacc.org
• All completed applications will be accepted
• Income limit for a one-person household is $31,850 and $36,400 for a two person household
• Applications for 10,000 households will be placed on the waiting list
• A computer-generated lottery system will determine the order of applicants on the wait list
• If more than 10,000 completed applications are submitted, a computer-generated lottery system will determine which of the 10,000 applications will be placed on the waiting list

Thank you to Age Options for this helpful information.

The Housing Authority of Cook County is offering accommodation assistance and assistance with completing the application. To contact the Housing Authority, call 312-517-2388 or email HCVWaitlist2020@thehacc.org

If you have questions for Progress Center, please contact Progress Center at 708-209-1500 or garnold@progresscil.org

2020-October 19-Spanish_HCV Waitlist Flyer 2020— Waiting List Flyer in Spanish

2020-October 19-HCV Wait List 2020-flyer — Waiting List Flyer in English

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period begins on October 15 and ends on December 7.  During the Annual Enrollment Period, Medicare Beneficiaries may:  switch Medicare Plans, join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, switch from one prescription drug plan to another prescription drug plan, drop Medicare Prescription Drug coverage.  Progress Center has four health benefits counselors on staff.  This includes one counselor who is working with members of the Deaf and hard of hearing community.

If you have questions about your Medicare plans, or want to explore your options, contact the Progress Center office to set up an appointment.  Most Progress Center staff are working remotely at this time.  Most likely, if you contact the office to set up an appointment, you will need to leave a message, either over voicemail or with the receptionist who is staffing the office in Forest Park.  After you leave a message, someone will follow up with you soon.  Please keep in mind, Progress Center staff are not meeting with people in person.  The appointment to explore benefits option will be a remote appointment.