Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cdbg And Housing Rehab topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Waukegan CDBG CAPER: housing‑rehab served 16 families; staff flags IDIS reporting errors
Summary
CDBG director Larissa Garland reviewed the city's 2024 CAPER, saying 10,411 residents were served across programs and 16 families received housing rehabilitation; staff described eligibility rules, a backlog of about 109 homes, and problems with federal IDIS reporting.
Larissa Garland, Waukegan's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) director, presented the city's 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) on July 7, summarizing how federal and local funds were used from May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025. Garland said the CAPER "provides an assessment" of the city's progress under the 2020'2024 consolidated plan and the associated annual action plan.
The report showed the city's CDBG programming supported a mix of public services and capital projects. Garland told the council the year's public‑service funding included: $10,000 for Safe Place (38 residents served); $15,000 for Habitat for Humanity (9 people served); $5,000 to Most Blessed Trinity (337 served); $10,000 to Northern Illinois Food Bank (76 served); $15,000 to PADS Lake County (1,204 served); and smaller awards for legal services, youth programs and others. She said the Waukegan Park District received $50,000 for Hinkston Park improvements and the microenterprise/small business program assisted four businesses during the program year. Garland reported a total of 10,411 people were served through CDBG‑funded activities during the year.
Garland provided detail on the city's housing rehabilitation program: staff completed repairs for 16 families (4 Hispanic families, 11 Black families and 1 multiracial family). She said program eligibility is income‑based, not age‑based, and listed common factors that disqualify applicants: ownership of multiple properties, unpaid liens, delinquent mortgages and not meeting the one‑year ownership requirement. Garland said there is an active waiting list for home repairs and estimated it at "at least 100" households, adding she believed 109 names were on the list.
Council members pressed for specifics. Alderman Martinez asked what work at Hinkston Park would include; Garland said the park's picnic shelter, restrooms and finishes are being renovated and that she could provide renderings. Alderman Florian questioned a listed facade improvement line that showed a $240,000 award for a single facade; Garland confirmed the work went to a daycare at the corner of Butchartick and Washington and said the amount reflected the low bid and the scope of work.
Garland also told the council that parts of the CAPER printout generated by HUD's IDIS system are inaccurate. "Pages 2 through 4 have numbers that mean absolutely nothing because it does not calculate properly," she said, calling the IDIS output "not working." She urged the council to rely on the program summaries she provided rather than the misformatted IDIS tables.
Why it matters: the CAPER documents federally required reporting on how CDBG funds were used. Garland's presentation highlighted continuing demand for housing repairs, limits on who can be served under HUD rules, and an operational issue with IDIS that complicates public reporting. The city also announced it is part of the Lake County Consortium, which coordinates CDBG applications with Lake County and neighboring municipalities.
Looking ahead: Garland said staff can distribute the Hinkston Park renderings and that outreach is needed so eligible homeowners know how to apply for the housing‑rehab program. Council members suggested expanding outreach to accelerate use of available funds and asked staff to bring more information on the IDIS data issue to a future meeting.
