Illinois is investing nearly $9 million in community development, a boon for 14 communities set to upgrade local housing. Governor JB Pritzker announced the grant on Tuesday alongside the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO), confirming the homes of some of the state's most economically vulnerable will see much-needed repairs and improvements.
The cash injection stems from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Housing Rehabilitation program, detailing allocations that range between $539,000 and $650,000 per community. As Illinois recognizes National Community Development Month, Pritzker remarked, "Thanks to this federal grant, 14 communities across the state will become stronger and more resilient by rehabilitating their vulnerable residents' homes," in a statement on the official state website.
Eligibility for the funds includes a variety of home improvements, ensuring that low-to-moderate income homeowners can enjoy safe, sanitary living conditions. This includes structural work, electrical and plumbing restorations, as well as upgrades to appliances, flooring, and ADA accessibility accommodations. Homeowners could receive up to $60,000 each to cover the renovation costs.
Acknowledging the CDBG's 50th anniversary, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin lauded the program's capacity to stabilize neglected neighborhoods, "Community Development Block Grants are the instruments of change that help stabilize neighborhoods that have weathered the storms of neglect, empowering individuals and families with opportunities to flourish," he said, according to the press release. This sentiment was echoed by Senator Tammy Duckworth, who highlighted the grants' role in improving housing conditions and addressing housing insecurity for Illinois families.
The targeted CDBG funding stems from the U.S. Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, reserved for non-metropolitan areas that don't directly receive entitlement funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). All grants are earmarked for areas where more than half of the residents earn low-to-moderate incomes, meeting specific CDBG program requirements. The full list of communities benefiting from the grants is available on the state's official website.
