CDAP Grants Help Small Communities Meet Public Facilities And Housing Needs By JAN M. CRAYSON, Director Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs

Providing safe, decent housing and promoting public health and safety are among the most important duties of any city, town or village. Unfortunately, many small communities face difficulty meeting this charge. Aging infrastructure and rapid growth both lead to severe problems.

In Illinois, small communities can get help through the Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) which is funded through the federal government's Community Development Block Grant for small cities. CDAP grants are administered by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. The grants are awarded on a statewide, competitive basis to local governments in communities with populations of 50,000 or less that are not located within one of the six large urban counties or the 32 metropolitan cities that receive funds directly from the federal government.

Illinois' CDAP has four components: economic development grants which are typically awarded to assist a community in retaining or attracting a business opportunity; public facilities grants which are awarded to help communities construct or upgrade water and sewer systems to alleviate a threat to public health or safety; housing grants which help ensure that safe, decent housing is available to low and moderate income families; and emergency public facilities grants which can be essential to communities that have experienced needs due to an unforeseen emergency.

Over the past decade, DCCA has awarded millions of dollars in CDAP grants to assist small Illinois communities in improving the lives of their citizens. In fact, since the beginning of the program in 1984, DCCA has awarded approximately $120 million in CDAP grants under the public facilities and housing components alone. In October of 1991, for example, the department awarded $19.3 million in public facilities grants to 72 communities.

Communities that received public facilities grants in October include: Armington, Astoria, Browning Township, Brownstown, Calhoun County, Cambridge, Central City, Cobden, Downs, DuQuoin, East Eldorado Township, Eldorado, Elmwood, Elvaston, Enfield, Farmer City, Fayette County, Genoa, Gillespie, Good Hope, Grand Tower Township, Griggsville, Hammond, Hardin County, Hardin, Harrisburg, Henry, Herrick, Johnson County, Johnston City, Joppa, Keensburg, Keyesport, LaHarpe, Lewistown, Logan, Mahomet, Maroa, Marseilles, Marshall, McLean County, Medora, Oglesby, Orangeville, Orient, Percy, Plymouth, Ransey, Sheffield, Spring Valley, St. Francisville, St. Rose Township, Tamaroa, Tamms, Union County, Vergennes, Virden, Wabash County, Wapella, Warsaw, Wayne City, West Salem, White Hall, Willisville, Woodside Township and Zeigler.

DCCA staff are now reviewing the latest round of public facilities applications which were due January 28, 1992. The department expects to make awards for this funding cycle in April.

DCCA staff are available to answer any questions regarding the Community Development Assistance Program. Contact Mark Gauss at 217/785-6193. •

Page 30 / Illinois Municipal Review / March 1992