The Village of Oak Park has been a recipient of CDBG funding since 1974! In the last decade alone, the Village has invested in numerous initiatives, including:
- $11 million to support street resurfacing, ADA sidewalks, and lead water line replacement to low-to moderate income families and throughout the 14 census tracts in the Village of Oak Park
- $4 million to support food pantries, domestic violence services, homeless shelters and emergency services, case management for seniors, mental health and intellectual/developmental disability needs
- $4 million to support affordable housing rehabilitation through single family rehabilitation loans, lead hazard reduction, small-rental rehabilitation, and code enforcement.
- And $2 million to support has facility improvement for non-profits who own property in the community to support programs and community independent living arrangements (CILAs).
CDBG in Oak Park
In the last 20 years, the Village of Oak Park has received $38,337,176 in federal dollars to benefit the community. Those funds have been used to support our public infrastructure, enhance our public services, improve our public facilities and provide affordable housing.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding empowers local communities by providing the resources to address their specific needs and priorities. This allows for more effective decision-making at the grassroots level, as community members are directly involved in shaping and then implementing projects that matter most to them.
This chart illustrates how those dollars have been utilized in Oak Park.
CDBG funds have been dispersed throughout the community to support a variety of projects and initiatives including Neighborhood Services, Public Infrastructure, UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago, Way Back Inn and more. Read more about some of the projects below:
Neighborhood Services
Annually, Neighborhood Services receives $415,000 to support Single-Family Rehabilitation, Lead-Hazard Reduction, Code Enforcement and Small Rental Rehabilitation (multi-family units). Neighborhood Services within Oak Park.
CDBG funding of $54,510 helped to rehabilitate a household through miscellaneous repairs such as door replacement, handrail installation, interior and exterior staircase repair and more.
Funding also supported the replacement of existing lead or galvanized steel water pipes with copper.
Public Infrastructure
CDBG dollars have improved public infrastructure throughout Oak Park. CDBG has contributed $1,525,000 toward the reconstruction of deteriorated alleys with concrete in Low to Moderate Income census blocks, and alleviating trip hazards within sidewalks to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). CDBG funding supplemented approximately 43% of the total project cost.
UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago
CDBG dollars totaling $46,800 helped UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago fund 90% of a renovation project for Community Individual Living Arrangements (CILA) to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago believes that all people, regardless of ability, deserve to achieve their potential, advance their independence and act as full members of the community. So they stop at nothing to provide Community Day Services, assistive technology, meaningful employment and a place to call home for people with disabilities, as well as specialized foster care for children.
Way Back Inn
CDBG dollars totaling $42,271 helped Way Back Inn fund 89.9% of a project to replace 45 windows at Grateful House, ensuring energy efficiency for years to come.
Way Back Inn serves individuals who are seeking recovery from alcohol, drug, or gambling use disorders. Special programing is available for homeless veterans. The overall goal is to help clients achieve continuous recovery. Everyone is welcome. Way Back Inn has recovery programs in Oak Park, Maywood, Forest Park, and Melrose Park, Illinois.
CDBG in Illinois
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program is a highly impactful federal program that allows State and local governments and their program partners to craft locally driven solutions to address urgent and important community development needs. Program activities focus on four areas: decent housing, infrastructure (public improvements), services, and economic development. The CDBG program grows local economies and improves the quality of lives for low- and moderate-income citizens. Over 1,200 jurisdictions receive an annual allocation of CDBG funds. Nationally, over 7,200 rural, suburban, and urban communities have access to CDBG funds. Communities use CDBG to respond to community development needs, including job creation, affordable housing development, improvement of existing housing stock, the delivery of services, and the development of infrastructure improvements.
Read More About CDBG in Illinois(PDF, 218KB)
Learn More About CDBG
For the past five decades, the CDBG program has been one of the most important resources used by state and local governments to meet community development needs. CDBG is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with the intention of funding a wide range of project areas. Click on the links below to access fact sheets on CDBG's most important areas.
View a playlist of videos highlighting the impact of the
CDBG program in Oak Park