Settlement in Connecticut Community Services Case

See this article in Newsday. Some excerpts:

After a 15-year lobbying effort and a federal lawsuit, an advocacy group for the mentally retarded appeared on the verge of getting the legislature to substantially reduce a list of hundreds of people waiting for housing and services.

The legislature's Public Health Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that that would ratify a legal settlement reached last summer between Arc/Connecticut and the state departments of Mental Retardation and Social Services.

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Under the settlement, relief will be provided to at least 1,250 families over five years who are determined by DMR to be most in need. At least 150 individuals each year will be able to move out of their families' homes and an additional 100 families per year will receive some form of assistance, such as in-home help.

Arc/Connecticut estimates that there are nearly 2,000 people on the DMR waiting list. Last September, DMR said there were 1,064 individuals.