PADS, Wayside set to receive federal grant allocations from Elgin
By Mike Danahey mdanahey@stmedianetwork.com September 24, 2012 3:48PM
Updated: October 26, 2012 6:13AM
ELGIN — The city council this week is set to move along two of seven allocations that will total more than $374,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant money.
If moved forward at the council’s Wednesday night meeting as expected, Public Action to Deliver Shelter will receive $50,000 to fund a portion of the rent it pays for its overnight housing and case management facility at 1730 Berkley St. Wayside Cross Ministries Center will use another $45,060 to pay the monthly costs associated with the sublease of its space from PADS. Wayside provides day shelter for the homeless.
The 2011-12 program year is the first year that Wayside has requested and been awarded federal block grant funds. PADS requested and received block grant money in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The block grant funding being divvied out actually was allocated by the council in May 2011 and marks a 16.5 percent reduction from the prior fiscal year.
Colleen Lavery, the city of Elgin’s chief financial officer, said organizations are given the previous year’s allocation at a fiscal year’s end and that the five other grants will be trickling out at upcoming council sessions. Organizations knew the overall reduction was in store, Lavery said.
According to supporting material for Wednesday’s meeting, to distribute the block grant funds, the federal government uses a population and community need-based formula intended to assist qualifying efforts that aid low- and moderate-income people. The city has participated in the grant program since 1975 and has received more than $25 million in money to pass along to local organization since then.
Also set to receive portions of this distribution of block grant funding are Northern Illinois Food Bank ($75,000); Senior Services Associates ($42,500); Association for Individual Development ($53,935); Community Crisis Center ($42,850); and the Well Child Center ($64,700).
The total federal block grant allocation to Elgin for this time frame was about $920,000. Along with what is going to community nonprofits, Elgin set aside $470,000 of the grant money for its Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program and another $75,000 for block grant administration.
The rehabilitation grant program is designed to help homeowners pay for making exterior code violation repairs, to improve the quality and safety of the existing housing stock, and to foster community pride. Owners may qualify for up to a maximum of $10,000 or $15,000, depending on household income. Applicants must meet the low- to moderate-income guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
