The City of Galesburg will hold an informational meeting on September 15, 2020 at 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 55 W. Tompkins St., Galesburg, Illinois. The meeting will provide information and discussion on the Single Family Owner Occupied Rehabilitation grant the City received from the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA). The funds will provide improvements to approximately 10 owner occupied homes within the City of Galesburg limits. Masks are required to attend the meeting. The meeting will be streamed online via the City of Galesburg website and posted later on the website.
The program is designed to help low-to-moderate income homeowners repair and rehabilitate their houses to correct code violations, address health and safety hazards, and lower energy consumption. This is often electrical, plumbing, lead hazard reduction, accessibility issues, and energy efficiency improvements. The funds are provided in the form of individual grants to the homeowners as a forgivable loan which is repaid by living in the house for 5 years after the construction work is completed. The rehabilitation program has specific rules as to what work can and cannot be done. Participants will have to be aware of and agree to the limitations of the program.
Households must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for Knox County. For a household of 4, the maximum eligible income is $54,150. Properties must be owner occupied, not contract for deed and mobile homes are eligible only if the owner owns the lands on which they reside and it is on a permanent foundation. For the full range of income categories for Knox County visit the 2020 HUD Income Limits website.
(https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il2020/2020summary.odn)
All interested members of the community are encouraged to attend this meeting. A representative from the Western Illinois Regional Council will be in attendance to discuss the application process, income guidelines, and other criteria pertaining to the SFR Program. Homeowners may schedule an appointment to complete an application at the conclusion of the meeting.
Eligible applicants will be prioritized according to a variety of criteria. Preference will be given to households with an elderly or disabled member (documentation required), and very low-income households, below 50% of the average median income for Knox County.
If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to schedule an appointment to be considered for the program, you may contact Royal White at Western Illinois Regional Council at 309/837-3941. Phone calls will be accepted beginning September 16, 2020. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Local contractors interested in bidding on the program are also encouraged to attend. An explanation of the bidding process, insurance, licensing, and payment procedure will be discussed.
The Illinois Housing Development Authority and the City of Galesburg are equal housing lenders. People will not be discriminated against based on race, sex, age, creed, disability, or national origin.
***Report Courtesy of the City of Galesburg***
