Will County receives annual grant allocations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). The overarching purpose of these three programs is to assist low- and moderate-income families and households, which are those that earn less than 80% of the area median income.  The CDBG/HOME Advisory Board oversees the administration and a 5-year strategic plan guides funding decisions. Generally, HUD funds are used to pursue three overarching objectives:

(1) Provide decent, affordable housing

(2) Create suitable living environments

(3) Expand economic opportunities

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): The CDBG program is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. Beginning in 1974, the CDBG program is one of the longest continuously run programs at HUD. The CDBG program provides annual grants on a formula basis to general units of local government and States. Will County is an Entitlement Community and a recipient of CDBG funds annually and also administers CDBG funds for the Village of Bolingbrook.

CDBG funds may be used for activities which include, but are not limited to:

• Acquisition of real property
• Relocation and demolition
• Rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures
• Construction of public facilities and improvements, such as water and sewer facilities, streets, neighborhood centers, and the conversion of school buildings for eligible purposes
• Public services, within certain limits
• Activities relating to energy conservation and renewable energy resources
• Provision of assistance to profit-motivated businesses to carry out economic development and job creation/retention activities

Each activity must meet one of the following national objectives for the program: benefit low- and moderate-income persons, prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or address community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community for which other funding is not available.

Generally, the following types of activities are ineligible:

• Acquisition, construction, or reconstruction of buildings for the general conduct of government
• Political activities
• Certain income payments
• Construction of new housing (with some exceptions)

Information about the CDBG Program including examples of projects funded with CDBG funds nationally can be found here:  HUD CDBG Project Profiles

Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME): HOME is the largest Federal block grant to State and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. Each year it allocates approximately $2 billion among the States and hundreds of localities nationwide.  

Will County HOME Consortium

Will County is a Participating Jurisdiction (PJ) and a recipient of HOME funds.  ln 2016, the County and the City of Joliet (also a Participating Jurisdiction) formed a HOME Consortium.  Funding requests for projects within the City of Joliet limits will be reviewed by the Consortium and should be submitted using the HOME Consortium application.  The Village of Bolingbrook, a recipient of CDBG funding, is included in the HOME Consortium making HOME eligible projects within the Village limits also eligible for funding.  HOME funded projects and programs assist the Federal Government’s commitment to providing decent, safe, and affordable housing for all Americans and to alleviating the problems of excessive rent burdens, homelessness, and deteriorating housing stock nationwide. HOME eligible projects include:

• building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership
• providing direct rental assistance and or downpayment assistance to low-income people 

HOME requires that applicants match 25 cents of every dollar in program funds to mobilizes community resources in support of affordable housing.

Information about the HOME Program including examples of projects funded with HOME funds nationally can be found here:  HUD HOME Project Profiles

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) 

ESG funds can be used to provide a wide range of services and supports under the five program components: Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Rapid Re-housing, Homelessness Prevention and Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS).  Specifically, ESG program provides funding to: 

• engage homeless individuals and families living on the street;
• improve the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families;
• help operate these shelters;
• provide essential services to shelter residents,
• rapidly rehouse homeless individuals and families, and
• prevent families/individuals from becoming homeless.

For additional information, please review the ESG Program Guide and the ESG Fact Sheet