DeKALB– The City of DeKalb was awarded a $100,000 grant Tuesday through the state of Illinois’ Strong Communities Program, according to a news release from the state.

The SCP is an initiative that will provide funding to 68 units of local governments and land bank authorities for the acquisition, maintenance, rehabilitation and demolition of abandoned residential properties in their communities. The program is funded by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, according to the release.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority Board approved a total of $10 million in funding to support affordable housing and community revitalization efforts across the state under the SCP.

Created in August 2020, the SCP provides grants of up to $250,000 to local government agencies to return vacant residential properties to productive and taxable use. A total of $30 million in grant funding will eventually be awarded through multiple funding rounds.

Program funds also will reimburse municipalities for acquisition, rehabilitation and maintenance including tree, shrub and debris removal, lot treatment and greening and other reasonable costs associated with returning blighted properties to productive use. Program funds also may be used for demolition in cases where properties are beyond repair and negatively impacting neighboring residences, the release said.

Over the course of the program, SCP is projected to rehabilitate approximately 1,000 vacant and abandoned homes and fund the demolition of 500 vacant and abandoned homes beyond repair, according to the news release.

The grants will leverage IHDA’s ongoing state and federally funded initiatives to increase property values, create jobs, help reduce crime, generate additional tax revenue and attract further community investment in underserved communities around the state, the release said. A total of $30 million in grant funding will be awarded through the program over three application rounds.