Ottawa holds public hearing on $800,000 CDBG application to rehab about 10 homes

The City of Ottawa on July 21 held a public hearing to gather citizen input on a proposed $800,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Connie Buchanan of the North Central Illinois Council of Governments said.

Buchanan said the application requests $800,000 to rehabilitate approximately 10 owner-occupied single-family homes within the city limits. "The city intends to submit an $800,000 community development block grant application to the department of commerce and economic opportunity," Buchanan said. She said the per-home maximum this year would be $70,000, up from $60,000 in prior years.

The grant would fund construction, administration and construction supervision costs, Buchanan said, and is intended to correct housing-code violations and deficiencies that pose immediate health and safety risks. She said priority populations for the program are seniors, people with developmental or physical disabilities and very low-income households as determined by county income percentiles.

Buchanan noted the program does not permit duplexes, multiunit rentals or mobile homes: "They do single family owner occupied homes. That's just the way that this community grant is based." She described the citywide application this round (previous rounds used census-tract project areas), an outreach survey strategy submitted with the application to demonstrate demand, and an inspection process in which an inspector performs an exterior assessment and, when warranted, requests interior access to prepare sample work orders for minor, moderate and major renovations.

City officials told residents that if the city is awarded funds it will publish press releases, post information on the city website and hold follow-up meetings to distribute and assist with applications. Buchanan said the city will submit its application to DCEO by Aug. 27 and that award announcements typically arrive about six to eight months after submission.

The council also approved a resolution to have NCICG administer and coordinate the program and adopted a separate resolution committing $20,000 from the city's general corporate fund as the local match for the CDBG application.

Applications and the public file are available at the city clerk's office at 613 West Marquette Street and questions can be directed to the NCICG office at (815) 433-5830, Buchanan said. If the grant is awarded, the city will solicit applications from eligible homeowners, assist residents in completing required documentation (proof of income, homeowners insurance, deed or tax bill) and prioritize health-and-safety repairs.