GOVERNOR AWARDS REHABILITATION GRANTS
TO IMPROVE HOUSING
Gov. Jim Edgar recently awarded $6 million in
grants to assist 27 Illinois cities and villages in efforts to
renovate substandard housing.
"Safe, decent housing is important to the well-being
of all Illinois families," the Governor said. "Home repairs, such as replacing a roof or making plumbing and
electrical improvements, are often beyond the budgets
of low-income families, as well as too costly for those
with disabilities and senior citizens surviving on fixed
incomes.
"These grants will help smaller communities
throughout the state, to rehabilitate hundreds of aging
and unsafe homes. They represent an investment in
better overall quality of life in Illinois."
Examples of the grant program include rehabilitation projects in Carbondale, Newton and Monmouth.
Carbondale will receive $350, 000 to assist in rehabilitating 28 homes. This year's grant continues efforts to
improve housing in the northeast section of the city,
where nearly a third of the homes are more than 40
years old. Improvements will include roof repairs, upgrading electrical and plumbing systems and correcting
other deficiencies.
Monmouth will use $188, 000 to implement a housing
rehabilitation program. Twenty homes located in the
south-central section of the community are targeted for
assistance. Nearly half of the homes in the neighborhood were constructed prior to 1940, and lower income
residents have had difficulty in maintaining the integrity of their homes. Improvements are designed to
bring the properties up to code.
Newton, in Jasper County, will use $194, 500 to undertake the second phase of a housing rehabilitation
project for 15 owner-occupied homes. Local officials
surveying the targeted area reported extensive deterioration of the modest, single-family frame structures. All of the homes have common problems such as damaged
roofs, inadequate wiring and out-dated plumbing and
beating systems.
Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, the Governor's senior advisor
on economic development, said the housing rehabilitation grants represent just one component of the Community Development Assistance Program administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and
Community Affairs.
"Smaller communities across Illinois continue to
benefit from this program," Kustra said. "These grants
are awarded for a number of different purposes — they
include making public infrastructure improvements,
encouraging business development, and providing
greater accessibility to government buildings. Today
we are announcing assistance to upgrade substandard
housing.
"All of these components fit together to help local
governments make their communities better places to
live, work and raise a family."
The Community Development Assistance Program
is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD). The grants are awarded
on a competitive basis to units of local government with
populations of 50, 000 or less that are not located within
one of the seven large urban counties that receive funds
directly from HUD. The maximum grant is $400, 000.
March 1996 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21
1996 CDAP Housing Rehabilitation Grants
|
|
|
Amount
|
Grantee/County
|
Project Description
|
Awarded
|
City of Bushnell (McDonough)
|
Rehabilitation of 20 homes
|
$188,000
|
City of Cairo (Alexander)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
275,000
|
City of Carbondale (Jackson)
|
Rehabilitation of 28 homes
|
350,000
|
City of Danville (Vermilion)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
200,000
|
Village of Equality (Gallatin)
|
Rehabilitation of 18 homes
|
194,250
|
City of Freeport (Stephenson)
|
Rehabilitation of 20 homes
|
275,000
|
City of Green Rock (Henry)
|
Rehabilitation of 20 homes
|
176,000
|
Village of Hindsboro (Douglas)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
177,000
|
City of Hoopeston (Vermilion)
|
Rehabilitation of 24 homes
|
300,000
|
Village of Joy (Mercer)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
152,500
|
City of LaHarpe (Hancock)
|
Rehabilitation of 20 homes
|
188,000
|
City of Lawrenceville (Lawrence)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
194,500
|
City of Litchfield (Montgomery)
|
Rehabilitation of 30 homes
|
325,000
|
City of Metropolis (Massac)
|
Rehabilitation of 17 homes
|
275,000
|
City of Monmouth (Warren)
|
Rehabilitation of 20 homes
|
188,000
|
City of Mt. Vernon (Jefferson)
|
Rehabilitation of 20 homes
|
330,000
|
|
Demolition of 15 homes
|
|
City of Newton (Jasper)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
194,500
|
Village of Norris City (White)
|
Rehabilitation of 20 homes
|
150,000
|
Village of Olmsted (Pulaski)
|
Rehabilitation of 16 homes
|
308,000
|
Village of Plymouth (Hancock)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
152,500
|
Village of Prairie City (McDonough)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
152,500
|
City of Quincy (Adams)
|
Rehabilitation of 15 homes
|
200,000
|
City of Sesser (Franklin)
|
Rehabilitation of 22 homes
|
250,000
|
City of Sterling (Whiteside)
|
Rehabilitation of 24 homes
|
228,000
|
Village of St. David (Fulton)
|
Rehabilitation of 18 homes
|
204,000
|
Village of Ullin (Pulaski)
|
Rehabilitation of 14 homes
|
175,000
|
City of West Frankfort (Franklin)
|
Rehabilitation of 25 homes
|
275,000
|
Page 22 / Illinois Municipal Review / March 1996