The City of Galesburg will host an informational meeting for residents regarding grant funding for comprehensive home rehabilitation aimed at addressing health and safety concerns, code violations, and accessibility improvements. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 12th, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Galesburg City Hall, 55 W. Tompkins Street. Staff from the City of Galesburg and the Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) will be present to share all necessary details about the grant and answer questions. Those unable to attend should contact Darrin Taflinger, darrin@wirpc.org at 309-837-2997, for more information about the program and to obtain a pre-application form.
This opportunity is made possible thanks to a $600,000 grant awarded to the City of Galesburg through the Illinois Housing Development Agency’s (IHDA) Home Repair and Accessibility Program. The funds are provided in the form of individual grants to the resident as a forgivable loan that is automatically forgiven by living in the home after the construction work is completed for a specified period of time (3-5 years).
Residents can receive a Full Rehab, Roof-Only, or Accessibility grant. Full Rehab and Accessibility grants have a maximum award amount of $50,000, while Roof-Only grants are limited to $25,000. Full Rehab and Roof-Only grants are limited to owner-occupied homes, while Accessibility grants are available for owner-occupied or tenant-occupied homes. 30% of the rehabilitation costs must be spent on accessibility improvements to qualify for an Accessibility grant.
Key eligibility requirements include not exceeding the household income limit, being current on the property taxes, and having no liens on the property. The income limit is defined by a household’s total income being less than 80% of the Area Median Income, which can be found at this link.
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.
Housing revitalization is a significant need and priority for the City of Galesburg. The city has been strategically working to improve housing conditions through a multifaceted approach, which includes enforcing property maintenance codes, repairing homes through grant opportunities, and demolishing and removing dilapidated structures. An interactive map on the city’s website illustrates the progress made towards housing revitalization since 2019, which includes removal of 77 dilapidated structures, lead remediation of 82 homes through a HUD grant, and repair of 112 homes through grants from DCEO, IHDA and the City of Galesburg Local Housing Repair Grant.
This initiative complements Galesburg’s ongoing commitment to housing revitalization. Two additional grants in the city’s portfolio – the DCEO CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program and the DCEO CDBG Healthy Houses Program – are currently accepting applications. The locally-funded Housing Repair Assistance Program will re-open in January 2026.
Information on housing grants is available on the city’s website. To receive updates on housing grants, visit the e-notify page and subscribe to the “Housing Grants” category.
***Courtesy of the City of Galesburg***
