CHAMPAIGN IL, Dec. 12th, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Illinois State Director Betsy Dirksen Londrigan today announced four Housing Preservation Grants that will improve infrastructure, housing, and economic conditions for underserved rural Illinois communities.
“These housing preservation investments help single families, and the elderly remain in their homes”, Dirksen Londrigan said. “One of President Biden’s key initiatives is to empower rural communities, and this program is one-way Rural Development can help”, she continues. “These grants allow townships to disperse funds directly to residents who need their house repaired or improved and have lasting social and economic benefits…not just for that immediate family, but those living in the home for decades to come.”
Illinois Housing Preservation Grant Recipients:
- Rebuilding Together received a $120,000 housing preservation investment and will use the funds to provide housing rehabilitation/repairs to 10 low and very-low-income homeowners in Henry County. These funds are grants that go directly to the homeowners.
- Southernmost IL Delta Empowerment Zone received a $139,000 investment that will benefit approximately 10 homeowners in single family homes in Pulaski County.
- Crosswalk Community Action Agency received a $139,000 investment that will go towards home repairs for 12 low and very-low-income homeowners in partnership with a Housing Rehabilitation Block Grant in Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, and Williamson counties. Homes in the city limits of Carbondale, Marion, and Mt. Vernon are not eligible for this program.
- City of Freeport received a $139,000 investment that will be used to provide home repairs to approximately 10 homeowners in single family homes in conjunction with other leverage funding in Freeport, IL.
Investments are being made through these programs: Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks for Colonias, Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands, Delta Health Care Grants, Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grants, Housing Preservation Grants, Rural and Native Alaskan Village Grants, Tribal College Initiative Grants and Appalachian Regional Commission Grants, which USDA administers as part of a Memorandum of Understanding.
New Web Resources for Rural Communities
USDA Rural Development today also unveiled two new web resources that underscore the agency’s mission to ensure all people have equitable access to federal programs. A new history webpage traces USDA Rural Development’s evolution from the Great Depression and New Deal to the present, highlighting the many ways the agency supports efforts to create prosperity in rural communities. One of the agency’s more recent initiatives, the Rural Partners Network (RPN), has brought together a coalition of 24 federal agencies that offer programs and funding designed specifically for rural communities. A new feature on Rural.gov makes it easier to find these federal resources in one place. The Find Programs and Opportunities tool includes hundreds of millions of dollars in financing and technical assistance opportunities that are easy to search, filter and find. The information will help people in rural areas access funding for a variety of business, health care, housing, community and economic development needs.
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