La Salle council approves $20,000 commitment for housing rehabilitation

La Salle residents will see progress already on the top 10 projects chosen during the city’s three Strategic Community Planning meetings as the council passed a $20,000 commitment to a housing rehabilitation program Monday night.

La Salle Economic Development Director Curt Bedei said it was good to see attention given to the items chosen by the residents. People were brought together in the past month to list goals for the next 10 years in the areas of quality of life, tourism and economic development.

“It’s good and exciting to see that my own personal thoughts in my position line up with the community thoughts, as well,” Bedei said. “We’re attacking those areas of interest, and hopefully we will continue to progress forward and continue to improve the community as a whole.”

Housing rehabilitation grants are available for owner-occupied homes. They are designed to assist low-to-moderate-income homeowners with improvements to ensure safe and sanitary living conditions. Eligible uses of funds include structural work, electrical, plumbing, new appliances, flooring, Americans With Disabilities Act-complaint and accessibility accommodations, among other uses.

Bedei said the city is applying for $650,000 and would “take care” of up to 10 homes. He said $20,000 is the highest amount the city can commit for the most points in that category.

“It just shows that the city is very invested and interested in this program,” Bedei said. “And [it] is willing to front the money to the first house of this whole grant.”

There will be a public meeting at 5 p.m. Nov. 6 to discuss the grant.

The Strong Communities Program – which is for the demolition of abandoned properties such as homes that are blighted with no way of saving them – was approved Monday night.

“We were awarded a $100,000 grant,” Bedei said. “This money, I believe, is retroactive for a year, so any homes we have torn down in the last year can qualify.”

The program is only for residential properties.

Council enters agreement with tourism agency

The council entered a one-year agreement with Heritage Corridor Destinations for $9,000.

The annual investment is an initial partnership listing on their heritage corridor destinations, website listing and three travel guides – I&M Canal Towns, Route 66 and Starved Rock Country.

Bedei said that anybody who travels to a community spends $180 a day, and they may be a developer or looking to buy a new home, so there are a lot of benefits to adding this type of marketing to the city.

“Tourism is the front door to economic development,” Bedei said. “It’s important to keep marketing, keep putting yourself out there to the public, who may not know we exist or what type of assets or attractions we have.”