Mid Central Community Action in conjunction with The Illinois Rental Payment Program provides financial assistance to renters in Illinois who are income-eligible and landlords who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
You may be eligible to receive up to $25,000 in emergency rental payments and 18 months of rent payment assistance if you are an Illinois renter who is behind due to COVID-19.
MCCA sees healthy, self-sufficient families engaging happily with one another in strong, safe, and diverse communities, all while conserving the environment.
Their Objective
People should be educated, equipped, and empowered to have healthy relationships, money, homes, and communities.
Their Way of Life
Clients, external contacts, and staff should all be treated with respect and honesty. They’re all on the same team!
Their Guiding Principles
They collaborate to disrupt the patterns of financial insecurity and domestic abuse through collaborating on advocacy, education, and assistance.
They provide hope, expand people’s alternatives, skills, and confidence, and guide them to make educated good life decisions.
They concentrate on living circumstances and quality of life via an equitable and long-term viewpoint. Individuals, families, and communities benefit from change, creativity, and cooperation.
CSBG
Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG): Community Action Agencies throughout the state offer a variety of CSBG services, including but not limited to rental/mortgage assistance, food, water/sewer payment assistance, employment training/placement assistance, financial management, and temporary shelter.
Each agency provides activities and services tailored to the specific requirements of its community.
You will be routed to one of their partner organizations for additional assistance if their local Community Action Agency does not directly provide a particular service.
History
The Economic Opportunity Act, signed by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, formally declared the “war on poverty.”
The McLean County Economic Opportunity Corporation (MCEOC) was founded on October 21 in response to the community’s desire for a unified voice to address the economic difficulties in McLean County, Illinois.
After years of advocating for low-income persons in need of legal services, MCEOC founded the McLean Legal Aid Society, now Prairie State Legal Services.
Because no other qualified organizations could provide these services, MCEOC took over the federal and state energy assistance and emergency cash programs. Livingston County now has access to outreach and referral programs for the elderly.
The organization’s name was changed to Mid Central Community Action, Inc. once it became a part of the network of community action agencies (MCCA).
When another organization cannot continue delivering Countering Domestic Violence (CDV) Services in McLean County due to a lack of funds, MCCA steps in.
MCCA restored a beautiful Victorian property with the support of 100 community volunteers to provide emergency shelter to abused women and children.
Neville House can still house multiple adults and families at the same time. MCCA acquired and restored six properties to provide transitional homes for homeless families, increasing the organization’s Transitional Housing Program.
The McLean County Affordable Housing Coalition, which offers financial aid to first-time home purchasers, is now administered by MCCA.
The McLean County Continuum of Care for homeless people was launched by MCCA collaborating with local agencies and HUD. Staff members are trained and certified as HUD housing counselors within the same year.
What do they do
1- Financial Opportunity Center?
In Bloomington, IL, a Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) offers job training, one-on-one financial coaching, credit counseling, and education, as well as low-cost financial products that assist develop credit, savings, and assets.
As required, they help connect clients with programs like food stamps, utility assistance, and low-cost health insurance.
The FOC model is built on offering these services in an integrated manner, rather than as stand-alone services, and on a long-term commitment to assisting customers in achieving their objectives. Based on the results, this packaged strategy helps customers increase their revenue and net worth.
Integrated services, sometimes known as “bundled” services, result in tangible increases in net income and employment retention.
According to research, FOC clients who receive bundled services are 50 percent more likely to find a well-paying job than those who only receive employment assistance when financial coaching is combined with career counseling, long-term job retention (keeping an appointment for a year or longer) nearly doubles.
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2- Purchase Housing Counseling
HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency Mid Central Community Action, Inc. They realize how exciting the process of buying a house can be.
They’re also aware that a lot of inquiries may surface. They are here to assist you! Their Housing Counselors are on hand to guide you through the whole home-buying process.
Their Homebuyer Education program is aimed to inform first-time homebuyers on the long- and short-term benefits of homeownership support programs.
These seminars provide future homeowners with the opportunity to learn skills that will help them maintain their house for the duration of their mortgage.
Regardless of income or homeownership status, anyone may benefit from Homebuyer Education. Individuals and families who have recently acquired a house or have more homeownership expertise can take advantage of their post-purchase homeownership help services.
Their mission is to provide homeowners with the knowledge and skills necessary to care for their homes and their families’ finances for many years to come!
3- Credit Building Workshops
Their Credit Building Workshops assist people in improving their financial position and provide advice on how to establish credit for students and young adults who have good financial habits.
The sessions are led by a Certified Housing Counselor and are open to anybody in the community.
4- Community Development
The Office of Community Development in Illinois municipalities with significant low-to-moderate-income populations support economic growth, community development, and infrastructure upgrades.
The CDBG program, sponsored by the federal government and helps low-income people, is administered by the Office. In addition, these towns offer government assistance for disaster recovery and housing repair.
5- Grant Opportunities
A current list of grant programs that are open for application is maintained by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Funding for public infrastructure projects, programs centered on economic development efforts, and the Department seeking a partner to provide support services to Illinoisans are all examples of grant options.
The qualifying requirements for each program may vary, but they will contain chances for various sorts of communities, corporations, and non-profit organizations.
6- Broadband Expansion
Governor Pritzker is dedicated to building Illinois as a technological and innovation leader. Staying ahead of the curve requires access to high-speed internet, which will benefit families, businesspeople, farmers, and other Illinoisans who rely on it for everything from healthcare to education.
In August, Governor Pritzker announced Connect Illinois, a statewide project to improve internet access. Connect Illinois comprises a monetary commitment from Rebuild Illinois, the formation of a Broadband Advisory Council and Broadband Office, and a new program that will give free high-speed broadband to all Illinois public K-12 students.
The Illinois Century Network, a high-speed broadband network that serves K-12 and higher education institutions, will also benefit from a $400 million broadband grant program and a $20 million capital program as part of the project.
