New Grants to Housing Authorities

Funds for Resident Service Delivery Models for Families, Elderly and Disabled are going to: Housing Authority of the City of East St. Louis - $500,000, Housing Authority of Joliet - $250,000, Housing Authority of the City of Bloomington - $250,000, Franklin County Housing Authority - $172,204 and Winnebago County Housing Authority  - $200,000. This funding promotes self-sufficiency by providing job and business development training; developing methods to link residents to jobs with specific employers in specified fields; creating credit unions; and providing support services such as child care, transportation, and family counseling. For the elderly and persons with disabilities this funding provides personal assistance with daily activities; transportation to medical appointments, shopping, etc.; and establishes health and wellness programs in the community.

Funds for service coordinators are going to: Housing Authority of the City of East St. Louis - $229,500, Chicago Housing Authority  - $597,225, Decatur Housing Authority - $39,702, Rockford Housing Authority - $58,721, Housing Authority of Joliet - $34,905, The Housing Authority of the County of Cook - $225,000, St. Clair County Housing Authority - $34,666, Bloomington Housing Authority - $48,740, Lake County Housing Authority - $27,000 and Winnebago County Housing Authority - $54,950. These grants allow PHAs to hire service coordinators to assist elderly and disabled public housing residents. Service coordinators link these individuals with local community services to help them live independently such as securing transportation services for medical appointments or rehabilitation services.

Funds for Neighborhood Networks, which allow PHAs to establish and/or operate Neighborhood Network Centers that use computer technology and telecommunications or to update and expand existing computer centers are going to: Chicago Housing Authority - $450,000 and Springfield Housing Authority - $150,000

The Rockford Housing Authority was the only recipient of a Homeownership Supportive Services grant, which allows PHAs to offer home-buying counseling and other supportive services to achieve homeownership for public housing residents. They will receive $400,000.

Two Chicago Housing Authority resident organizations received Capacity Building grants totaling $200,000. These funds will assist Central Advisory Council of the Chicago Housing Authority and Joanne Dorsey Resident Council to gain the capacity to administer public housing related programs.