The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner
The Stronghurst Village Board had nearly thirty extra residents join officials and village board members at a scheduled public meeting which was prior to the regular September board meeting Monday.
Around 6:15 p.m. residents came to express their interest in obtaining home improvement grants, and to find out more details about the project.
The village had asked Kevin Wiehardt, Community Action Director of Western Illinois Regional Council to apply for these funds to assist residents in improving their homes "to eliminate health and safety problems, building code violations, and to preserve the long-term integrity of these homes.
This may include "repair/replacement of plumbing and wiring, roofing, siding, installation of new doors, windows, attic and sidewall insulation, and lead-hazard reduction."
Wiehardt said the area of town was targeted according to the interest and the need in surveys they had sent out.
"We can't do five houses and then jump over to another part of town and do another. It has to be a targeted area where the most need and interest is shown."
Wiehardt explained that he will apply for a two-year grant and then reapply in two years for another 2-year grant.
With as much interest shown, Wiehardt said, "I might write a county-wide grant since there is so much interest.....There are other funds I can go after if I don't get this."
Wiehardt said it would be late spring before he knew anything. He would take applications and compare them, and the ones with the most need would be awarded first.
We work with the contractors," he said, "and make sure there is no fly-by night contractors" and things are done right and brought up to code.
"If it takes $40,000 to do it, we'll do it. We have to bring it up to code. I'm interested in structural, plumbing, wiring, etc.
Wiehardt assured the grant will not cost homeowners anything "I know," he said, "I've been doing this for 15 years."
You have to sign an agreement that you are not going to sell it within five years, so there is a lien put on the house that is forgiven at the end of five years. And if parents die and the children end up with the home before the five years, the amount is forgiven as well.
The actual application process won't be done until next spring (around April). The income needed at that time should be projected income, not what happened in the past.
Wiehardt said that there is a conflict of interest for board members, therefore they are not eligible.
Wiehardt was told there was $350,000-
400,000 available for rural communities but that it may be reduced.
"There are more here than who originally said they were interested," Wiehardt said. Usually only one or two come to these public hearings.
Around thirty registered before leaving the meeting.
Wiehardt indicated he would be applying for two grants, and possibly a third county-wide one.
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