What is the status of the community system of support for people with disabilities?
It’s very fragile.
More than 14,000 people with disabilities remain on the PUNS wait list, not receiving any services.
The state is moving residents from the state institutions to the community system – where will they go? Community agencies are forced to turn away new residents for lack of staff. The state is not complying with the Ligas Court decree, which mandates choice for care in community settings. Meanwhile, the state is seeking to cut DSP hours – 2.5 million of them! That’s nearly 10% of the total DSP workforce across the system, removing $86.7 million in funding for IDD services.
We will be advocating in spring 2024 for an increase in state funding for DSP wages, but first, we must prevent these cuts!
