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DATE: August 7, 2023 <br /> TO: Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe, <br /> Mayor Pro Tem,Lisa Gregory <br /> Decatur City Council <br /> FROM: Scot Wrighton, City Manager <br /> Jon Kindseth,Deputy City Manager <br /> RE: Resolution Authorizing The Purchase Of Property Located At 1570 W. <br /> Forest Avenue, In Decatur,Illinois <br /> This item advances neighborhood revitalization through additional building rehabilitation. The <br /> City has accepted other properties like this one through its partnership with Land of Lincoln Credit <br /> Union in the recent past. <br /> The City uses this strategy when it acquires vacant derelict houses that can be rehabbed in urban <br /> core neighborhoods in Decatur. This will be the first such acquisition in the West End <br /> neighborhood, but the City will continue to provide a pipeline of houses to the landbank to rehab, <br /> and more partnerships are being cultivated to scale up this work. (e.g.,with Habitat for Humanity, <br /> the Land Bank, and others). Beyond minimal acquisition costs, the City will also provide ARP <br /> funds to purchase materials and cover expenses related to the rehabilitation of houses. <br /> This particular house is intended to serve as a classroom for the Richland Community College <br /> construction and trades program. The local Trades & Labor Council will act as project manager <br /> and will bring in local licensed contractors to provide training and support to student programs and <br /> pre-apprenticeship programs. <br /> Besides rehabbing old homes, this strategy provides hands-on training and develops marketable <br /> skills for the local labor force. Upon successful completion of the rehab,the City,CICD and LLCU <br /> will seek out new first-time home buyers for these houses. This program will provide new <br /> opportunities for our severely rent burdened residents to have a chance at home ownership and <br /> wealth generation. It also allows us to rehab structures and thereby keep them off our demo list. <br /> This program will run in parallel with, and be complimentary to, all of the other residential rehab <br /> programs utilizing ARP funds allocated for housing rehabs. <br />