$19 million announced for community revitalization projects

Chicago Construction News staff writer

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has approved $19 million for affordable housing and community revitalization projects across the state.

“My administration is committed to investing in communities across the state, especially those that have been historically underserved,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This $19 million  will directly support local governments in their infrastructure restoration efforts. With a central focus on affordable housing developments, we’re investing in our most important resource – our people – for years to come.”

SCP was created in Aug. 2020 in response to the Illinois Community Revitalization Task Force created to help address vacant and abandoned residential properties. This round of SCP provides grants up to $750,000 to Illinois municipalities, counties and land banks address local affordable housing needs and community revitalization efforts. The goal is to return vacant residential properties to productive and taxable use through rehabilitation and provide funds for demolition in cases where properties are beyond repair and negatively impacting neighboring residences.

“Vacant and abandoned properties continue to be a strain on local budgets and resources in communities throughout Illinois, which is why IHDA created the Strong Communities Program to assist local governments with their neighborhood revitalization efforts,” said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. “Through the Strong Communities Program, IHDA seeks to help communities transform these properties back into positive, revenue-generating assets for neighborhoods.”

Funding will pay for acquisition, rehabilitation and maintenance of abandoned residential properties and may also include tree, shrub and debris removal, lot treatment and greening and other reasonable construction costs associated with returning vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties to productive use.

“As our economy continues to improve and we continue to get the state back to work for working families, it’s important that we leverage our newfound prosperity to revitalize every community,” said State Representative Sue Scherer (D-Decatur). “The Strong Communities Program funds efforts to address blighted properties in our community, eliminating factors that lower property values and providing more opportunities for aspiring homeowners.”