Read more about the article Fraternities and sororities fail inspections; Violations take months to fixDarrell Hoemann
Alpha Delta Phi, located at 310 East John Street in Champaign, had 54 violations after its initial inspection last year. Among the violations, Inspectors found broken windows, tripping hazards and expired fire extinguishers. Inspectors also found beer cans and tea lights in the fraternity’s crawlspace, which is not meant to be used as a habitable space. This photo of the house was taken on Nov. 15, 2013.

Fraternities and sororities fail inspections; Violations take months to fix

City safety inspectors find hundreds of fire hazards and safety violations in fraternities and sororities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign each year, yet it can take months before some violations are corrected, inspection documents show.

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Read more about the article As housing waiting lists continue to grow, the shortage of affordable housing becomes evidentDanielle Shepherd
Oakwood Trace low-income housing in Champaign, Illinois

As housing waiting lists continue to grow, the shortage of affordable housing becomes evident

By Robert Holly/CU-CitizenAccess.org -- Thousands of low-income families and individuals across Illinois continue to wait for different forms of affordable housing to be provided…

Continue ReadingAs housing waiting lists continue to grow, the shortage of affordable housing becomes evident

Maps of Public Housing Authorities in Illinois

Illinois public housing authorities are responsible for providing affordable housing to low-income residents located within their district. Some authorities – such as the housing authority in Champaign – serve an entire county. Others – such as The East St. Louis Housing Authority – are charged with only serving a city.

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Low income often depend on two federal programs for housing

Public housing authorities are responsible for supplying affordable homes to their community’s population of low-income residents. The Housing Authority of Champaign County’s mission statement, for example, is to provide “quality, safe and affordable housing to the citizens of Champaign County.”

To do so, authorities receive millions of dollars from HUD to build homes and create programs that will put poor people in affordable homes.

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Read more about the article No vacancy: Getting on waiting lists for subsidized housing can take yearsRobert Holly
Linda Tortorelli recently tried getting a housing voucher for her son, who has a behavioral disability, but learned there already is an extensive voucher waiting list of more than 400 families in Champaign County.

No vacancy: Getting on waiting lists for subsidized housing can take years

Linda Tortorelli recently faced the challenge of finding affordable housing for her 23-year-old son, Patrick, in Champaign. Her task was complicated by the fact Patrick has Smith-Magenis syndrome, a rare chromosomal condition that causes behavioral disorders. Because her son qualified for government assistance under a federal housing voucher program, Tortorelli called the Housing Authority of Champaign County to seek a voucher that would allow him to live in an apartment of his own.

Continue ReadingNo vacancy: Getting on waiting lists for subsidized housing can take years
Read more about the article Rezoning request still on agenda, but Rantoul, township oppose planFile photo
A car sits next to an apartment building at Cherry Orchard, an apartment complex south of Rantoul.

Rezoning request still on agenda, but Rantoul, township oppose plan

By Dave Hinton/Rantoul Press Editor A petition to rezone a closed apartment complex between Thomasboro and Rantoul remains on the agenda of the Champaign…

Continue ReadingRezoning request still on agenda, but Rantoul, township oppose plan