Spring 2026 Edition

Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper and Marion Counties

Just announced this week, board members with the Illinois Housing Development Authority have elected to offer round 3 of their Strong Communities program in spring 2026, pouring over $9,000,000 into the program. SCP provides grant monies to communities for the reimbursement of costs associated with acquiring, rehabilitating, and demolishing abandoned, deteriorating residential structures. Through previous rounds of this funding, 4 of SCIRPDC's communities were able to tear down a total of 30+ homes that were public health and safety hazards. If you think your community might be interested, we would be happy to assist! Call or email us today!

Are you, a family member, or a friend struggling with getting a ride to your medical appointments? Use the information on the flyer above to contact the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services with your concerns.

Listen: "Illinois Rural Economic Development shows positive and negative trends-Rural Voices"

"Chris Merrett, Dir., Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, shares a status of our rural areas, with postive and challenging developments as part of Community Voices effort to amplify rural voices."-Randy Eccles

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What's HSTP up to?

RTAC Conference

The Rural Transit Assistance Center (RTAC) Conference is held every year during the first week of March in Springfield. The conference brings together transit agencies, human service agencies who have 5310-funded IDOT vehicles, Human Service Transportation Planning Coordinators (HSTP), the Illinois Dept. of Transportation, and other transit stakeholders. It is an opportunity for agencies to come together and attend a variety of professional development sessions, network, and collaborative roundtable discussions.cted funded through this program.

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