City of Kankakee - Community Development Agency Livestream

The City of Kankakee Community Development Committee held a meeting on August 3, 2026, focusing primarily on updates and discussions related to community development projects and housing programs. The committee reviewed ongoing construction projects, including 29 active initiatives and several completed ones, and discussed the status of demolition programs funded by CDBG, with plans to issue RFPs for additional demolitions. Financial matters included approval of draw voucher summaries and discussion of funding allocations for public service programs, such as a private security incentive program that exhausted its funding. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to proposed changes in housing rehabilitation programs funded by ARPA, including removing the termite inspection requirement to reduce barriers for participants and increasing the rehabilitation funding cap from $20,000 to $30,000 per unit to better cover lead hazard mitigation costs. The committee also considered eliminating the 25% resident match requirement in the MERA program to enable more middle-income residents to qualify. These changes aim to improve program accessibility and ensure efficient use of federal funds before expiration. No formal votes were taken on these program changes during the meeting; instead, the committee sought consensus and planned further internal discussions before bringing proposals to the city council.