PEORIA, Ill. – State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, recently supported legislation that would protect a program that provides local municipalities with funding to care for foreclosed and abandoned properties.
“For many years the city of Peoria has worked diligently to maintain abandoned properties across the city,” Gordon-Booth said. “In addition to reducing blight in our community, caring for abandoned homes also helps deter criminal activities and helps keep our community safe. This legislation will help ensure that Peoria continues to get funding to help them with these efforts.”
Gordon-Booth supported Senate Bill 647 which extends a fee that organizations, typically banks, involved in foreclosure proceedings pay to Foreclosure Prevention Fund and the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund. The first fund helps the Department of Urban Development pay for programs that provide housing counseling for homeowners at risk of losing their homes. The other portion of the funds is divided between cities throughout the state to help municipalities pay for the upkeep or demolition of properties that have been abandoned during foreclosure proceedings.
“As our cities continue to try to do more to help citizens, with less funding from the state, it is important to protect programs like this that work,” Gordon-Booth said. “This funding for this program comes from a special fund, not general revenue. As we continue to encourage Gov. Rauner to negotiate with legislators, it is important that programs like this one continue.”
For more information, contact Gordon-Booth’s full-time constituent service office at 309-681-1992 or email repjgordon@gmail.com.