A proposed budget released by state House lawmakers this week recommends reducing funding for Michigan’s Centers for Independent Living by roughly 45 percent.
The Michigan Disability Network represents 15 CILs across the state, including in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. They provide services for people with disabilities, like job skills training, self-advocacy help, housing assistance and more.
MDN executive director Teri Langley says if the cuts proposed in the state House budget are adopted, it would be the lowest level of funding given to CILs since before 2016.
“This is a devastating cut that the Centers for Independent Living will have to experience and that means layoffs" if the budget is adopted, she said.
"Our staffs are made up of at least 51% of people with disabilities," she added. That's the motto of Centers for Independent Living. They are centers by people for people with disabilities.”
Last year, the Centers for Independent Living received about $20 million from the state budget. The proposed House budget recommends $11 million in funding. The state Senate and executive proposals would cut CILs’ budgets too, but by a relatively modest $1 million, or about 5 percent.
“We're a collective network and so it's not $11 million per center," she said. "It's 11 million to be divvied up between 15 centers and what that actually means is that it's less money to provide services for people with disabilities.”
