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ECDA reports 235-household rehab wait list, lead-abatement delays and ARPA-funded MIRA progress
Summary
ECDA staff reported a 235-household wait list for housing rehab, a 94-household lead-abatement wait list, ongoing contractor recruitment and program completion goals for multiple housing programs during the Jan. 6 Community Development Committee meeting.
Barbie Watson and Maya Pedicue presented the Economic and Community Development Agency (ECDA) departmental report to the Kankakee City Council Community Development Committee on Jan. 6, outlining housing-rehab workloads, lead-abatement delays, ARPA-funded projects and demolition activity.
“We have 38 housing rehab projects in various stages of our process in progress right now,” Watson said, listing projects by ward: eight in the 1st Ward, 11 in the 2nd Ward, 0 in the 3rd Ward, six in the 4th Ward, 13 in the 5th Ward, four in the 6th Ward and four in the 7th Ward. Watson said the ECDA wait list for housing rehab projects includes “235 City of Kankakee residents.”
Watson described lead-abatement capacity constraints: “We have 8 projects in progress right now... On this wait list for this program alone, for lead issues, we have 94. We have not completed a project in lead since May of 2024.” She attributed the backlog to staffing certification requirements and a limited pool of lead-certified contractors and announced a contractor recruitment event scheduled for Feb. 19; ECDA staff said they will assist interested contractors with certification if appropriate.
Watson summarized program goals and recent completions: the Healthy Homes program has eight projects in progress and completed seven Healthy Homes rehab projects since May 2024, with a monthly completion target of five projects; the CDBG housing rehab program has 11 projects in progress, completed eight projects since May 2024 and has a calendar-year goal of 23 rehabs; and the ARPA-funded MIRA program has six projects in progress, 18 applicants on its separate wait list and a program goal of eight completed projects in 2025. Watson noted the MIRA projects require a 25% resident contribution and generally take longer to complete because residents choose contractors and materials.
On demolition, Watson said the city has five demolition projects in progress; four of those are on the 400 block of Fifth Avenue and are counted as separate parcels for grant reporting. She said the CDBG demolition program is funded to complete eight demolitions in 2025; emergency demolitions related to fires are handled through DPW and the city’s ESU budget and are separate from the CDBG-funded demolition process.
Asked about a fenced building formerly occupied by the Salvation Army, Watson said the fence was installed for safety at the mayor’s direction and that there is not current CDBG funding to demolish that building; ownership and adjudication issues remain to be resolved.
Watson said public facility CDBG dollars are allocated to repairs at Fire Station 46, including roof work and some window repairs, and that ECDA is preparing specifications and procurement for that work. On public services funding, she said ECDA received 11 letters of intent — the most received to date — and that full applications are due Jan. 21; agencies must submit performance reports before ECDA can draw down funds previously allocated.
On neighborhood outreach, Watson said ECDA’s Neighborhood Walks initiative reached 66,264 homes in 2024 and described safety incidents during walks, including staff harassment and two staff members being targeted with bags containing feces. She said ECDA will develop a safety plan and add senior facilities and high-rise buildings to the outreach for 2025; the next neighborhood walk is scheduled for Jan. 10.
Watson and Pedicue also described the city’s newly launched private security incentive program, noting the website and application are live and that applicants may submit receipts — including online receipts such as emailed Amazon confirmations — for reimbursement of eligible cameras and lights. Watson said ECDA staff will accept digital or printed receipts and that applicants may highlight the camera line when receipts include multiple items.
The committee did not take formal action on the ECDA report; members asked clarifying questions about program wait lists, contractor recruitment and timelines for ARPA fund expenditure.
