{"id":69265,"date":"2025-10-21T22:06:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T02:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=69265"},"modified":"2025-10-22T09:14:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T13:14:59","slug":"batavia-homelessness-affordable-housing-key-topics-of-ilgr-candidate-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/10\/21\/batavia-homelessness-affordable-housing-key-topics-of-ilgr-candidate-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"BATAVIA\/Homelessness, affordable housing key topics of ILGR candidate forum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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BY MIKE PETTINELLA
For Video News Service<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As could be expected considering the venue, homelessness \u2013 specifically the need for a warming center for people without a place to live \u2013 and affordable housing were recurring topics during Tuesday\u2019s Meet the Candidates Day at the Independent Living of the Genesee Region, 319 West Main St., Batavia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sixteen candidates for nine local government positions participated in the forum, which began at 11 a.m. and ended around 2:45 p.m. Each political hopeful had 15 minutes to talk about his or her background and positions on issues affecting life in the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ILGR is part of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies, a nonprofit regional advocacy, service, and program provider for individuals with mental, physical, sensory, intellectual or developmental disabilities. Its goal is to help those with disabilities to live as they choose — free from institutional care and restrictive environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data provided by the ILGR revealed that 448 people received homeless services in Genesee County from October 2024 through September 2025. The agency also reported that a survey conducted by the Cold Night Caf\u00e9 steering committee showed an 88 percent favorable response for the creation of safe space for people to shelter overnight when the weather is 32 degrees or below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cold Night Caf\u00e9 project is comprised of community organizations, including Oak Orchard Health, Department of Social Services, Batavia First Presbyterian Church, and ILGR, as well as individual members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ILGR specialists Rebecca Batt and Kahlil Simon posed questions about homelessness, the warming center and affordable housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brief summaries of the candidates\u2019 talks follow. The Meet the Candidates Day video is available for viewing at www.youtube.com\/user\/WNYIL<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BATAVIA CITY COUNCIL — Sammy DiSalvo (D, Future of Batavia)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DiSalvo, running for an at-large seat for the second time, said city leaders need to strike a balance between activities for residents\/families and downtown businesses, stating the \u201cscale is tipped\u201d currently toward businesses.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He also called for a more balanced budget \u2013 property taxes \u201care taxing us out of our houses,\u201d he said \u2013 and better communication and more transparency from city hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On homelessness, DiSalvo said he was in favor of a warming center and questioned why some on city council are opposed to it. He said Ellicott Station, the 55-unit unfinished building on Ellicott Street, could be \u201ca great resource for people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about zoning changes in the city to facilitate lower income housing initiatives, he said that would be beneficial \u201cas long as it\u2019s helping and not hurting people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DiSalvo called for a return of community events, such as the July 4th<\/sup> Picnic in the Park, which have \u201cdisappeared over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PEMBROKE TOWN COUNCIL \u2013 Helen Trowbridge Hanes (D)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noting that she has spent 40 years supporting those with intellectual development disabilities, Hanes said this is her third time attempting to win a place on the five-person board dominated by Republicans.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

She charged the current council \u201ccomplacent,\u201d adding that she has not seen any campaigning or signs from her two opponents in the race for two council seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the issues, Hanes mentioned the need for public water and called for better communication \u2013 \u201cWe have to make an effort to talk to people,\u201d she offered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A resident since 1992, she said people look at the term \u201caffordable housing\u201d as a curse. \u201cThey (current council members) don\u2019t even say the words,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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STAFFORD TOWN BOARD \u2013 Cathy Worthington (C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDitto,\u201d Worthington said upon taking a seat at the table after Hanes, inferring that Stafford has the same issues as Pembroke.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Running for the third time, the 28-year Stafford resident encouraged people to get out and vote to bring reform to a board that hands out raises \u201clike Tic-Tacs,\u201d isn\u2019t accessible and doesn\u2019t follow open meeting laws. She said she frequently uses the Freedom of Information Law to obtain information \u2013 having to wait the full 20 days to get a response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She noted that the tax rate is increasing every year — expected to jump to $2.02 per thousand of assessed value in 2026 \u2013 and that the town has paid out more than $100,000 in attorneys fees \u201cand we\u2019re not done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the dispute between James Pontillo and the board over the former\u2019s historic property at Routes 5 and 237, she said the town needs \u201ca credible, ethical and honest code and zoning person.\u201d She said she hasn\u2019t agreed with Pontillo\u2019s position on everything but did say that the board has \u201cstonewalled him\u201d for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BATAVIA CITY COUNCIL \u2013 Eugene Jankowski Jr. (R, C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jankowski, the current City Council president, like most of the others, commended the ILGR for hosting the event. He said he has been a proponent for accessibility since his time as a city police officer.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

On the topic of a warming center, he said he thought the Department of Social Services does an adequate job of placing people, and was concerned about the vetting the volunteers due to the vulnerability of homeless people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said city leaders are looking at a range of affordable housing options, mentioning Ellicott Station, the former Continental School of Beauty building and \u201cthe higher end\u201d downtown apartments. He said he is all for zoning reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ILGR staff asked him about city representation on committees affecting the agency and he said he would look into it, offering to fill the spot himself if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jankowski acknowledged that the city misses the boat at times on following up to residents\u2019 concerns, noting that \u201cpeople want closure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On taxes, he said the city tax rate has dropped from $10.71 to $8.46 over the past 12 years and that includes adding $1 million to the tax levy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BATAVIA CITY COUNCIL \u2013 Nicholas Lord (R, C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Married with three young children, Lord said he will take a \u201chands-on approach\u201d as a city council member, mentioning his detail-oriented skill set as the director of facilities and engineering for Mount St. Mary\u2019s Hospital in Lewiston and Lockport Memorial Hospital.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He said he would represent Batavia as a whole, calling residents \u201call friends and neighbors,\u201d much in the way of his 7-year-old son\u2019s \u201cblended classroom\u201d at John Kennedy School, comprised of pupils of all levels of abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord called for better communication between city government and its citizens, and maintaining a balanced budget while making sure \u201cwe deliver quality services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He encouraged people to get in touch with him at any time, hoping that being on city council affords him more of an opportunity to help people out.  On housing, he simply said more is needed and on a warming center, he said it was worth exploring, preferably as an entry point to more services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BATAVIA CITY COUNCIL \u2013 Richard Richmond (R, C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richmond, an incumbent and lifelong Batavia like Jankowski, voiced strong opinions on homelessness, stating it was against the law in New York State and saying that Genesee County will always provide housing for people with no place to stay.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He received pushback from ILGR employees when he said that mental health problems was a key factor in homelessness. Rae Frank, ILGR director, countered by saying that the top reason was the person\u2019s financial situation, not drug addiction or mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On zoning, Richmond agreed that \u201ccertain sections\u201d in the city could be rezoned, calling for private and grant money to assist in more housing options.  He said the city already is seeing what can be done with structures such as the Brisbane Mansion (former City Hall), Wiard Plow building on Swan Street and sites on Liberty Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COUNTY LEGISLATURE \u2013 Robert Bialkowski (R)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bialkowski is relinquishing his Batavia City Council seat to run for the county legislature\u2019s District 9 seat that represents the city\u2019s 4th<\/sup> and 5th<\/sup> Wards. He applauded ILGR for their efforts to keep people in their own homes, noting that a lot of handicapped people are neglected despite abilities to perform in the workplace.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He said he supports a warming center \u2013 \u201cIf the church wants to do it, great,\u201d he said \u2013 and changing zoning laws, adding that \u201cif it meets all the criteria, it shouldn\u2019t have been a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On running for the legislature, he said it was time for him to move on after 13 years, and said he was pleased that Lord, \u201ca young man,\u201d was running for city council at-large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can stay in a position too long; you just run out of new ideas,\u201d he said about his position on city council. \u201cI think I can do some good (on the legislature). I know the district very well and I\u2019ve seen a lot of changes in the district.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bialkowski mentioned the new playground equipment at Austin Park and said he wanted to make sure any of the used equipment that still is in good shape could be installed at Kibbe Park.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ALEXANDER TOWN COUNCIL \u2013 Brenda Post (D)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post, a longtime employee in the human services field, most recently at UConnectCare, said she\u2019s pleased that Alexander voters have a choice \u201cfor the first time in decades and decades\u201d of one-party (Republican) control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said she attends board meetings and notices that \u201ceverybody is on the same page; everybody goes the same way.\u201d This isn\u2019t always good for the residents, she said, calling for more discussion of the issues, such as taxes, strategic planning and contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post said she has met some people that react strangely when she tells them she\u2019s running as a Democrat (four people are running for two seats) but many others who respond by saying, \u201cI vote for the person and not the party.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about how people should think about Alexander, she said residents value their farmers \u2013 \u201cWe need them and rely on them,\u201d she offered \u2013 and that the community is full of people who care about their fellow citizens \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALEXANDER TOWN COUNCIL \u2013 Sarah Kohl (D)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also running on the Democratic ticket, Kohl echoed Post\u2019s thoughts on the contested race. She said she has attended town board meetings and hopes to use her skills in web development marketing and innovative problem solving to advance the town\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the issues, she said it should be up to voters to decide about the creation of water districts, supported solar on a limited basis per town ordinance and looked forward to revising the town\u2019s comprehensive plan that she said is \u201cold enough to drink\u201d having not been updated in 21 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Darien native and RIT graduate, she said the town is looking into land conservancies, which give landowners rights to preserve for nature and wildlife proliferation. She also mentioned that she is on the town\u2019s Zoning Board of Appeals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COUNTY LEGISLATURE \u2013 Michael Plitt (D)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plitt, chair of the Genesee County Democratic Committee, said he entered the contest for District 3 (Darien\/Pembroke) of the legislature to give people a choice. He said he would bring a different perspective to the governing body, which currently is made up of all Republicans.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

On issues, he brought up taxes \u2013 \u201cWe want them used for a good cause,\u201d he said \u2013 as well as WNY STAMP in the Town of Alabama \u2013 \u201cStop throwing good money after bad,\u201d he said \u2013 and the Genesee County Economic Development Center \u2013 \u201cThey make money on tax breaks they give out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plitt noted that residents of Darien and Pembroke pay more for their water, despite promises made over the years, and credited Gov. Kathy Hochul for helping communities out as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On affordable housing, he said more is need, mentioning the county\u2019s Smart Growth plan, but warned against being overrun by subdivisions. He like the idea of a warming center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, he urged people to vote and to run for office, stating, \u201cThere no secret code \u2026 there\u2019s room for everybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COUNTY LEGISLATURE \u2013 John Borrelli (D)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Le Roy native and Notre Dame High graduate, Borrelli said he lives in the 4th<\/sup> Ward and works in the 5th<\/sup> Ward, making it a \u201cunique situation\u201d as he vies for the legislature\u2019s District 9 seat. He said he is motivated to run by seeing so many young people leave the area to find good paying jobs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He said he has the \u201cpassion and drive\u201d to succeed and deeply cares about the plight of his neighbors. \u201cI seek to digest information and form an opinion to the best of my ability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Borrelli said the city \u201cdefinitely\u201d needs a warming center, agreeing with ILGR staff that homeless people are not drug addicts but victims of economic instability. He also called for cooling shelters in the summer for the elderly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all why we can\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cIt should be how can we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He what people are charging for apartments in Batavia is \u201catrocious,\u201d adding that young married couples can\u2019t afford to own a house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about taxes, he replied, \u201cNo taxes,\u201d drawing a laugh from the audience. \u201cWe have to control them and look for other revenue sources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COUNTY LEGISLATURE \u2013 Laurie Mancuso (R, C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retired following a long career in the private sector with corporations such as Eastman Kodak and Johnson & Johnson, Mancuso said she\u2019s on \u201cthe final lap\u201d of the process that started with collecting signatures, running in a primary and campaigning for the Nov. 4 election. She is running for the legislature\u2019s District 5 seat (Town of Le Roy).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

She said she found value in talking one-on-one to Le Roy residents, who indicated a disconnect with their county legislator. She said she hopes to close the communications gap, calling engagement with constituents one of her priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mancuso said a warming center would be a \u201cgreat idea,\u201d noting that homelessness is up 25 percent from a few years ago. She also called upon the GCEDC to focus on lower income housing and to consider different types of opportunities at STAMP, which she said \u201cis vacant for the most part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When told that New York State has contracted with a Georgia company for home health aide management, something that has caused numerous problems, she questioned why leaders would send money outside of the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ALEXANDER TOWN CLERK \u2013 Shannon Bartholomew (R)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appointed as town clerk in February, with an intent to run this November, Bartholomew said that she and her husband and children \u201chave been proud residents of Alexander for about five years \u2026 being drawn to the town because of the strong sense of community that Alexander exemplifies.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

She said her focus is on modernizing and organizing town records, setting standard operating procedures and responding to residents in a timely fashion. She said her responsibilities include registrar of vital statistics, local issuing agent for the Department of Environmental Conservation, and elections custodian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bartholomew attended the state Town Clerks Association annual training conference and has taken the position of secretary of the Genesee County Clerks Association. Currently, she said she is working on a new town website, Facebook page and becoming a notary public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COUNTY LEGISLATURE \u2013 Nikki Calhoun (D)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running for the county legislature\u2019s District 5 (Town of Le Roy) seat, Calhoun is a graduate of Pavilion Central School, who attended Genesee Community College and Brockport State College, earning degrees in Political Science and History.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

She said she is focused on fixing the delay in reimbursement to the county for advance payments for mandated services and programs in order to achieve a more balanced budget, helping the community\u2019s senior population to \u201cage in place\u201d and making sure that mental health and special educations programs are fully funded in Genesee County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calhoun also stressed the importance of getting public water \u201cto the last four corners of our area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She viewed a warming center as an \u201cabsolutely wonderful idea\u201d \u2013 calling any pushback on that as \u201csilly\u201d — and supports more low income housing \u2013 \u201cplaces for kids to stay here and grow their careers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the construction of a data center at WNY STAMP, she said it\u2019s \u201cnot the greatest idea,\u201d adding that other parts of the country have rejected this due to noise pollution, environmental impact and cultural impact. She said local residents have made it known that it isn\u2019t wanted here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COUNTY LEGISLATURE \u2013 Gordon Dibble (R, C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dibble, a longtime county sheriff\u2019s agency chief deputy and eight-year legislator, is seeking to retain his District 3 (Darien\/Pembroke) seat. He spoke mostly about the role of the legislature, pointing out that the nine-person board oversees the county\u2019s 26 different agencies and numerous programs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He said he is on several legislative and related committees, including STOP DWI, Criminal Justice Advisory Board and the Genesee 2050 steering committee. He mentioned the legislature\u2019s effort in assisting ILGR through annual contributions and through the opioid settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He called serving on the legislature \u201ca juggling act\u201d in that services have to be paid for in consideration of keeping taxes as low as possible. He said it\u2019s not an easy job but he has the time since he is retired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another key area is the retention of county employees, Dibble said, adding that the county has looked at what other counties pay and have raised the compensation level in Genesee County in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LE ROY TOWN COUNCIL \u2013 William Lambert Jr. (D, American Independent)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A musician, former band manager and retired employee of Crocker\u2019s Ace Hardware in Le Roy, Lambert said he\u2019s in the race in an attempt to break what he calls the \u201cgroup think\u201d of one-party (Republican) rule. Three people are running for two seats.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Asked about homelessness, he said he has seen the problem first-hand and realizes that it has escalated \u2013 mentioning that he knows three or four people who are in that situation in Le Roy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that a warming center is a good idea. I do agree with the gentleman earlier who said that training is a must,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On low income housing, he said it was a good idea to spread it out as much as possible \u2013 and be on bus lines. \u201cI think it\u2019s good to integrate people into the community,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lambert said the watershed (Oatka Creek) must be protected at the federal level \u2026 \u201cand we need to do as much as we can at the local level to keep everything as clean as possible.\u201d On taxes, he said to keep them low, infrastructure must be maintained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY MIKE PETTINELLAFor Video News Service As could be expected considering the venue, homelessness \u2013 specifically the need for a warming center for people without a place to live \u2013 and affordable housing were recurring topics during Tuesday\u2019s Meet the Candidates Day at the Independent Living of the Genesee Region, \u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69287,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23],"tags":[3121,623],"class_list":["post-69265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genesee-county","tag-independent-living-of-the-genesee-region-ilgr-2","tag-meet-the-candidates"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8eTP4-i1b","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33442,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2022\/06\/15\/genesee-county-independent-living-of-the-genesee-region-hires-gina-schelemanow-as-a-housing-specialist\/","url_meta":{"origin":69265,"position":0},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Independent Living of the Genesee Region hires\u00a0Gina Schelemanow\u00a0as a Housing Specialist","author":"aka","date":"June 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR),\u00a0a member of the\u00a0Western New York Independent Living, Inc. Family of Agencies,\u00a0welcomes\u00a0Gina Schelemanow\u00a0as a\u00a0Housing Specialist.\u00a0\u00a0 At their\u00a0(preferred pronoun)\u00a0time of hire, Mx.\u00a0Schelemanow\u00a0had earned an\u00a0Associate of Science degree in Liberal Arts and Science: General Studies from Genesee Community College in Batavia, class of 2016,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/thumbnail_image006-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":69035,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2025\/10\/11\/batavia-ilgr-hosts-meet-the-candidates-day-2025-on-october-21st\/","url_meta":{"origin":69265,"position":1},"title":"BATAVIA\/ILGR hosts \u201cMeet the Candidates Day 2025\u201d on October 21st","author":"aka","date":"October 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL Batavia, NY \u2014 October 8, 2025 \u2014\u00a0The Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), a member of the WNY Independent Living Inc. (WNYIL) Family of Agencies, invites residents to join\u00a0Meet the Candidates Day 2025\u00a0on\u00a0Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.\u00a0(updated time) at its offices,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21545,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2020\/12\/18\/genesee-county-independent-living-of-the-genesee-region-promotes-kahlil-simon-to-be-its-new-housing-specialist\/","url_meta":{"origin":69265,"position":2},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Independent Living of the Genesee Region promotes Kahlil Simon to be its new Housing Specialist","author":"aka","date":"December 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR)\u00a0welcomes\u00a0Kahlil Simon\u00a0into his new position as a Housing Specialist. In this role, he will\u00a0assist individuals\u00a0to\u00a0apply\u00a0for,\u00a0and\u00a0navigate, the programs and\u00a0services offered\u00a0through ILGR,\u00a0including,\u00a0coordinating housing evaluations for\u00a0persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of\u00a0homelessness, household budget counseling, employment advocacy, home environmental accessibility consultation, as well as serving\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ID-Liv.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":47665,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2023\/10\/12\/independent-living-of-the-genesee-region-ilgr-is-holding-a-free-meet-the-candidates-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":69265,"position":3},"title":"Independent Living of the Genesee Region\u00a0(ILGR)\u00a0is holding a\u00a0FREE\u00a0\u201cMEET THE CANDIDATES\u201d DAY","author":"aka","date":"October 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release Independent Living of the Genesee Region\u00a0(ILGR)\u00a0is holding a\u00a0FREE\u00a0\u201cMEET THE CANDIDATES\u201d DAY\u00a0to enable local residents with disabilities -- or anyone from the community -- to hear and discuss issues with some of those who are on the ballot in the November General Election.\u00a0\u00a0While it is an \u201coff-year election\u201d our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee 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discuss issues with some on the ballot in the November General Election.\u00a0 Our Chief Policy Officer Todd\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee 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