Archives

Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has made appointments to the Illinois Finance Authority and the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board. Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has appointed Beth Smoots to the Illinois Finance Authority Board of Directors. Smoots’ years of experience in management make her an ideal choice for the board.

Homebuyer demand drove sales and prices higher in June and marked a strong first half of the year for the Illinois housing market, according to Illinois REALTORS®. Statewide home sales (including single-family homes and condominiums) in June 2016 totaled 18,593 homes sold, up 1.4 percent from 18,328 in June 2015. Year-to-date, home sales totaled 78,547 homes sold, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to the first six months of 2015.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will award Winnebago County $2,492,455 to control lead-based paint hazards in low-income homes with children. Today’s funding will allow the county’s health department to address hazards in 150 housing units, protecting families from dangerous lead exposure. A total of $52,645,790 was awarded nationwide today as part of HUD’s Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program and Healthy Homes Supplement.

In an effort to increase transparency and provide the public with a quick and easy method to verify the authenticity of a professional’s certificate of licensure, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is now including a unique quick response (QR) code for all professions within the Divisions of Professional Regulation and Real Estate.  When the QR code is scanned using a QR reader application from any mobile device, the latest license information from IDFPR’s database will be displayed, including licensure status.  The QR code announcement is the latest from IDFPR in their ongoing efforts to modernize the state’s regulatory agency.

Last week, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced H.R. 5835, the Fair Distribution of Affordable Housing Funds Act of 2016, to reform the funding formula for affordable housing. The bill would repeal the fixed minimum funding level given to every state by the National Housing Trust Fund and return to a formula based on population and need.

The Chicago Housing Authority announced today that it has awarded 230 prospective and current college students with $268,000 in scholarships for the coming school year. The scholarship winners were notified on July 5 and can use the funds for the 2016-2017 school year to cover costs including tuition, fees, room and board, books and other eligible expenses

Governor Bruce Rauner today announced appointments to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Housing Development Authority

The Chicago Housing Authority will receive restitution for money stolen by a former contractor and her husband after the pair pleaded guilty to stealing funds intended for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, a crime that was exposed following an investigation by the CHA’s Office of the Inspector General.

U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), took his “Mike on the Move” transportation initiative to Elk Grove Village, Illinois to ride Chicago’s Terminal Short Line Railroad. His visit highlighted the importance of the short line rail industry to small and mid-sized communities and local businesses, as well as the need for funding to keep these rails functioning safely

Governor Bruce Rauner issued the following statement on the tornadoes that hit Illinois last night: "Given the reports of tornado touchdowns across north-central Illinois last night, we are fortunate things are not worse and are thankful there were no fatalities. Diana and I are thinking of those who were injured or suffered property damage in the storms and send our prayers to you.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $4,852,151 in federal funding for upgrades to small airports in Illinois. The grants were awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration and will help improve safety and efficiency at DuPage Airport, Greater Kankakee Airport, and Lewis University Airport. Senator Durbin has worked to increase funding for critical transportation and infrastructure grant programs that benefit Illinois.

During a speech at the City Club of Chicago, Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) CEO Eugene “Gene” Jones, Jr. today outlined how the nation’s second largest public housing agency is creating opportunities for residents and changing Chicago’s neighborhoods through holistic development strategies that were set in motion over a decade ago.

May xx, 2016 — Local home sales data for April is in and it confirms that the prevailing trends of last year have continued into 2016 with strong positive indicators for the spring home sales season.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unveiled a proposal for a new national rule on payday and car title lending that has the potential to save Illinois residents millions if changes are made before the rule is finalized.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced the City’s Ending Veterans Homelessness Initiative (EVHI) is receiving a $100,000 grant from the Elks National Veterans Service Commission that will be used to launch a Veterans Emergency Fund. The $100,000 in private funding, provided by the Elks, will help support at least 50 veterans in securing stable housing, and is another step in the City’s commitment to ending veteran homelessness in Chicago