Kankakee City committee hears housing program progress; residents urged to start storm-relief applications with United Way/KCCSI
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Summary
At its April 6 meeting, the Kankakee City Community Development Committee reviewed housing-program progress — including reductions in long wait lists and HUD-funded work — and staff directed residents seeking immediate storm-relief to apply with United Way funds administered locally by KCCSI. Staff warned funding deadlines could put some projects at risk.
The Kankakee City Community Development Committee on April 6 heard a detailed departmental report on housing programs and was directed to existing, locally administered emergency funds for residents affected by recent storm damage.
Alderman Behren opened the meeting and turned the departmental report to Barbara Brew Watson, who told the committee the office is managing 23 housing projects in progress and has been steadily reducing long wait lists. "We started with over 200 people on our wait list when we closed it last year," Watson said, "and so we're moving through that — we're already at 160 for our general wait list and then the lead program… we're now down to 80." She added the lead program currently has eight projects in progress and completed six during the last fiscal year after the city added additional lead contractors.
Watson summarized related programs: Healthy Homes has six projects underway and is expected to move to HUD closeout in May or June; the CDBG housing-rehab program has eight projects active with common needs like furnaces and roofs; and rental-rehab intake currently shows four projects moving toward start-up. Staff said they are reviewing intake and documentation workflows and setting firmer resident decision deadlines (some programs require a 25% resident contribution) to avoid delays.
"If we don't get projects moving within a certain timeline, we can lose the funding," Watson warned, describing the quarterly benchmarks the department must meet for grant compliance.
On immediate storm-related assistance, Watson and other staff pointed residents to locally available emergency funds administered by KCCSI with support from United Way. "The most immediate way to get assistance is through the United Way Emergency Fund, which now has money released to KCCSI to administer assistance," Watson said, listing housing, utility assistance and limited auto-repair help as possible uses. She noted that FEMA assistance requires a federal disaster designation and is not immediately available without that declaration.
Robbie Watson, who had been identified in the meeting attendance, told the committee he had spoken with KCCSI leadership and summarized the application requirements: "They can make us eligible for auto repair, rent, mortgage, emergency shelter… They just need to show up and apply," he said, adding that applicants typically must provide photo ID, Social Security documentation, proof of income and proof of damage.
Staff also advised residents with insurance questions to contact the Illinois Department of Insurance for technical assistance and case management support.
Committee members heard additional operational updates: demolition projects are underway with a grant goal of eight properties; the city is in pre-contract work for a DCEO shelter grant and is coordinating Department of Labor timeline requirements; and the private security incentive program still has limited funds available.
Watson said the office will continue to monitor contractor availability — a limiting factor for some programs — and work with HUD and other funders as projects progress. The committee did not take formal action on these program updates but will consider related items, including a planned presentation from the county housing authority, at a future meeting.
The committee adjourned at about 6:36 p.m.
