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