DeKALB, Ill. — Dan Kenny, a DeKalb resident, told the City Council on Aug. 25 that housing insecurity in DeKalb County is worsening and presented several statistics from local and national sources to illustrate the scale.

Kenny cited the DeKalb County sheriff’s annual report, saying it recorded 261 eviction orders in 2024 and an average of about 282 eviction orders per year over the past three years; he also cited about 33 property sales annually from foreclosure. He said the city issues roughly 120 water‑shutoff notices per month and that, while most are resolved with payment plans, “about 20 households lose water service each month, at least temporarily.”

Kenny added affordability context: he said the National Low Income Housing Coalition ranks DeKalb County the fourth most expensive rental market in Illinois and that a worker would need to earn $26.69 an hour to afford a modest two‑bedroom apartment locally. By contrast, he said the mean renter wage is $13.22 an hour, and 39% of DeKalb County households are renters. He described United Way’s ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) framework and said that in DeKalb County about 40% of households fall below the ALICE threshold.

“Housing insecurity is not an abstract issue. It affects hundreds of our households across our community, people who are working, raising families, and contributing every day,” Kenny told the council.

No formal action was taken during the meeting, but council members later described ongoing meetings and said they would pursue follow up. Alderman Walker said he has met with local partners — including the DeKalb County Mental Health Board, Family Service Agency and Hope Haven — and planned additional meetings, and he specifically mentioned wanting to meet with Kenny to discuss next steps.

Kenny’s figures draw on the sheriff’s report, the National Low Income Housing Coalition and United Way’s ALICE data as he presented them to the council; the council did not vote on policies or funding at the Aug. 25 meeting. Any staff recommendations or proposals in response to Kenny’s presentation would need to be returned to the council for formal consideration.