Friday, May 25, 2007 12:28 AM CDT
Over dozen Shelbyville homes to be refurbished through state grants
Over $400,000 to help renovate 14 homes on city's southeast side
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
SHELBYVILLE — Talk about a block party.
After all, almost half-a-million dollars in state funding should “go a long way” to revitalize one impoverished Shelbyville neighborhood, said a local official.
“There’s some celebrating going on,” said David Bitzer, a grant writer hired by the city of Shelbyville. “The impact will be just tremendous for poor people.”
The governor’s office this week announced $461,994 in grants for Shelbyville as part of the Opportunity Returns initiative. According to Bitzer, those funds will pay for up to $35,000 in renovations for 14 different homes in a three-block area on the southeast side of the city.
Recipients of the rehabilitation funding must meet certain income guidelines, and they must be homeowners or have a mortgage.
“I feel if most of the money is going to senior citizens or people with disabilities or folks with low incomes, then the money is really going where it needs to go,” said Bitzer.
In a partnership effort with Kolis Consulting in Springfield, Bitzer Land Corp. in Shelbyville authored successful grant applications for five central and southwestern Illinois municipalities.
Shelbyville will get $343,980 in Community Development Assistance Program monies (administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity), as well $117,964 in a matching contribution from the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, according to the office of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
“These funds are extremely difficult to obtain, (and) they’ll go a long way,” said Bitzer. “They’ll really benefit the town.”
The recent grant application was based on a survey of about 50 households within a “target area” in southeastern Shelbyville, according to Bitzer. His office will use state-approved guidelines to select the 14 specific homes to receive $32,000 to $35,000 each in renovations, which range from exterior work such as roofing or siding, to interior remodeling of plumbing or heating and air-conditioning systems.
Bitzer said the rehabilitation effort is aimed at fixing code violations and structural deficiencies, while also improving the general appearance and property values of the neighborhood in question.
He said any upgrades that result in greater energy efficiency are particularly important in light of the increases in utility costs.
Additionally, the grants could pay to retrofit a home for handicap accessibility, Bitzer noted.
He said he does not think an increase in property values will result in a corresponding property tax assessment hike in that neighborhood.
Blagojevich said in a press release, “If people are struggling to meet their basic survival needs, the opportunity for economic advancement is only a dream. By refurbishing these homes and creating a safer place to live, we’re helping meet the essential needs of these hardworking men and women so that they can build better lives.”
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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