Community Development Assistance Grants Will Support Needed Improvements in 59 Small, Rural Communities Statewide
SPRINGFIELD - January 18, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced nearly $19 million in federal funding to address the infrastructure needs of 59 small and rural communities throughout Illinois. Awarded through the Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP), the funding will be used to make improvements to water and sewer lines, including replacing water mains, upgrading storm water systems and repairing sewer lines.
"This funding will help make much needed infrastructure improvements in many of our smaller communities that were hit hardest by the economic downturn," Governor Quinn said. "These infrastructure projects will help revitalize the local economy and create jobs."
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) administers Illinois' CDAP program, which is known nationally as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and provides federal funding for a variety of community-based projects. Communities with populations of 50,000 or less can apply for CDAP grant funding to support a variety of projects.
"Through the state's CDAP program, we are building up the infrastructure of our smaller and rural communities," said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Warren Ribley. "These improvements will help provide safe drinking water and reliable water supply and sanitation systems while creating construction jobs to support the needed infrastructure upgrades and improvements, and will set the stage for future economic development."
On behalf of Governor Quinn, DCEO Director Warren Ribley visited Herrin yesterday to announce the city's $350,000 grant that will be used to replace water mains in the community. The nearly $19 million in competitive public infrastructure grants will be distributed to 59 small and rural communities throughout the state.
Illinois' CDAP program supports communities with populations of 50,000 and fewer that are not located within a US Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-designated "entitlement community," or one of the eight designated "entitlement" urban counties. The complete list of Illinois communities receiving 2011 CDAP-Public Infrastructure funding is attached.
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