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Read more about the article Low income often depend on two federal programs for housingDanielle Shepherd

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.

Continue ReadingLow income often depend on two federal programs for housing
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 Long delays for funding plague bridge repairsDanielle Sheppard
Reduced weight limits still allow two Mahomet-Seymour School District buses to cross the reduced one lane bridge in Mahomet, but buses will be re-routed during upcoming repairs.

Long delays for funding plague bridge repairs

Illinois state inspectors say the bridge carrying traffic on County Highway 50 over Interstate 74 in Mahomet is in “critical condition” and “structurally deficient.” But an average of 2,550 vehicles — including school buses — still use the bridge each day, although the bridge has been reduced to a single traffic lane since August 2011.

Continue ReadingLong delays for funding plague bridge repairs
Read more about the article Poor conditions in county jails persist as state inspections go unenforcedDarrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
A common area for inmates to gather during the day at the Champaign County jail in Downtown Urbana.

Poor conditions in county jails persist as state inspections go unenforced

Trash litters the floors of the Edgar County jail, unknown liquid leaks from the ceilings, and broken locks make it impossible to secure internal doors. The Sangamon County Jail is consistently overcrowded, making living quarters unfit for inmates.

Continue ReadingPoor conditions in county jails persist as state inspections go unenforced
Read more about the article CU-CitizenAccess.org wins 2012 Peter Lisagor AwardSam Vega/Hoy
Eric Maligaya takes a call at Maligayas, a grocery store that caters explicitly to Filipino customers. He is the son of the owner and estimates that 70 to 80 percent of the customers are Filipinos looking for meats like adodo and menudo, steamed buns or siapao, sweet fruits or coconut milk.

CU-CitizenAccess.org wins 2012 Peter Lisagor Award

CU-CitizenAccess.org has won the 2012 Peter Lisagor Award for its collaborative project with Hoy Chicago looking at changing demographics and racial issues in Central Illinois.…

Continue ReadingCU-CitizenAccess.org wins 2012 Peter Lisagor Award