$250,000 granted through Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Program (APP)
information provided by the Illinois Housing Development Authority
CHICAGO, Ill. (May 20, 2019) – On May 17, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Board of Directors awarded funds to a 62 municipalities, counties, and land banks across Illinois to help spur community redevelopment through the elimination of blighted and abandoned properties. Awarded under the APP program, eligible uses for the funds include maintaining lawns, trimming trees and bushes, installing fences to protect the public, and repairing or demolishing abandoned property.
Foreclosed, blighted, and abandoned properties have sociological and economic effects leading to depressed home values and crime. Per the latest American Community Survey, Illinois is home to over 515,000 vacant housing units. The cost to eliminate these properties is burdensome to the local government, many of which lack the means to do anything about them.
“A study conducted in Cleveland found that for every $1 spent on demolition, there was a return of over $13 in value for nearby properties,” said IHDA Executive Director Audra Hamernik. “It is imperative we give communities the tools they need to eliminate blight which can provide significant economic, social and safety benefits to the surrounding neighborhood.”
Through the APP program, the IHDA has provided over $25 million to local units of government for the maintenance and/or demolition of over 4,000 properties within their jurisdictions.
The Village of Lansing was among the IHDA Board-approved grantees in Cook County to receive APP funds, as were several neighboring communities:
COOK COUNTY SET-ASIDE
- City of Chicago Heights: $250,000
- City of Evanston: $75,000
- Village of Hazel Crest: $75,000
- Village of Lansing: $250,000
- Village of Riverdale: $250,000
- Village of Summit: $250,000
- Cook County DPD: $250,000
- Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA): $250,000
- Village of Justice: $170,800
- City of Berwyn: $250,000
- City of Calumet City: $75,000
- Village of Richton Park: $100,000
- Village of South Chicago Heights: $20,000
- Village of Maywood: $117,500
- Town of Cicero: $117,500
- Village of Dolton: $60,000
- Village of Robbins: $60,000
COLLAR COUNTIES SET-ASIDE
- Village of Park Forest: $250,000
- City of Aurora: $250,000
- Village of Downers Grove: $46,370
- City of Waukegan: $250,000
- City of Joliet: $250,000
- Kane County: $250,000
- Village of Sauk Village: $75,000
- City of North Chicago: $250,000
- Lake County Land Bank Authority: $250,000
- Village of Hanover Park: $125,000
- Village of Beach Park: $75,000
Established by the Illinois General Assembly through the Save Our Neighborhoods Act (P.A. 96-1419), the APP program provides financial assistance to address the lasting impact of the foreclosure crisis by assisting communities with neighborhood improvement, greening, and redevelopment. The APP program is funded through a filing fee paid by banks and other lending institutions on a sliding scale based on how many foreclosures they file each year.
