Durbin Announces $28 Million in HUD Funding for Illinois Communities and Housing Agencies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 7, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that Illinois communities and housing agencies will receive $28,377,761 in grant funding through four programs administered by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Community Development Block Grants

The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program provides annual grants to states and local governments to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and by expanding economic opportunities principally for low and moderate income persons. CDBG funding is an important tool for helping local governments to tackle serious challenges facing their communities. The following communities will receive CDBG funding:

Arlington Heights, $286,251; Bloomington, $605,838; Danville, $973,993; Decatur, $1,532,733; DeKalb, $413,731; DuPage County, $3,952,467; East St. Louis, $1,826,363; Elgin, $848,923;  Joliet, $928,723; Lake County, $2,562,606; Moline, $899,106; Mount Prospect, $363,969; Naperville, $483,478; North Chicago, $304,681; Pekin, $423,730; Peoria, $1,934,718; Rock Island, $1,167,221; and Skokie, $504,865.

Emergency Shelter Grants

The Emergency Shelter Grants program provides annual grants to state, local and private entities to improve the quality and number of emergency homeless shelters. ESG funds are available for the rehabilitation or remodeling of a building used as a new shelter, operations and maintenance of the facility, essential supportive services and homeless prevention. The following communities will receive ESG funding:

DuPage County, $154,773; East St. Louis, $80,439; Lake County, $113,326; and Peoria, $84,734.

HOME Program

The HOME program helps to expand the supply of decent, affordable housing to low and very low income families by providing grants to state and local governments to fund housing programs that meet local needs and priorities. HOME is the largest Federal block grant to State and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. Each year the HOME program allocates approximately $2 billion among the States and hundreds of localities nationwide. The following communities will receive HOME program funding:

Decatur, $578,960; DuPage County, $1,957,855; East St. Louis, $430,324; Joliet, $496,452; Lake County, $1,676,147; and Peoria, $897,803.

Family Unification Awards

The Family Unification program provides vouchers to public housing agencies for families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the separation of children from their families. The following housing agencies will receive family unification funding:

The Chicago Housing Authority, $897,744; the Housing Authority of Joliet, $203,256; and the Housing Authority of the County of Lake, $792,552.