KANKAKEE – Three communities in the 40th District will receive funding for affordable housing and community revitalization through the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Strong Communities Program, supported by State Senator Patrick Joyce.
“There are vacant properties all over the region that are not serving their purpose, communities or residents,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “It’s funding like this that allows local governments to restore these neighborhoods and other community areas in order to make them purposeful once again.”
The Strong Communities Program is designed to support local revitalization efforts and attract further investment in communities that may lack the resources needed to tackle vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties.
A total of $19 million was approved by IHDA to support these revitalization efforts across Illinois. The grants are funded by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan and will leverage IHDA’s existing funding to increase property values, create jobs, help reduce crime, generate additional tax revenue and attract further community investment in underserved communities around the state. The following communities in the district Joyce represents are set to receive funding:
- Chicago Heights: $712,000
- Park Forest: $712,000
- Kankakee County: $487,000
“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,” IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust said. “Through the Strong Communities Program, IHDA seeks to help communities transform these properties back into positive, revenue-generating assets for neighborhoods.”
A total of $30 million in grant funding has been awarded through two application rounds. For more information, visit IHDA’s website.
