$26 Million in HUD Grants Will Benefit Illinois Governments

By Soyoung Kwak in News on Oct 15, 2011 4:00PM

Extra cash flow coming in from a federal government grant will benefit not only Chicago but other Illinois cities. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced this week that the state of Illinois will receive around $26.5 million dollars in funding to "support community development and produce more affordable housing" for its residents. The official press release by HUD provides a breakdown of how much of the $26.5 million is going into different areas in Illinois, including which housing programs the money is set to benefit.

Echoing Secretary Donovan's remarks, Senator Dick Durbin says that the grant money is meant for "community development, shelters, and to expand affordable housing programs." This means that nearly $9.4 million of the total grant money will be forwarded to Cook County. This is definitely great news for Chicago, but it is unclear what neighborhoods or areas of Chicago the federal grant money will help renovate or develop.