Galesburg to Launch Healthy Homes Grant Program with Informational Meeting

Galesburg, IL (September 26, 2025) The City of Galesburg will host an informational meeting for landlords and tenants regarding grant funding to assist with HVAC system replacement in rental properties occupied by low-to-moderate income tenants. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 8th, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Galesburg City Hall, 55 W. Tompkins Street. Staff from the City of Galesburg and the Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) will be present to share all necessary details about the grant and answer questions.

This opportunity is made possible thanks to a $300,000 grant awarded to the City of Galesburg through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Community Development Block Grant Healthy Houses Program.

Key eligibility requirements include submittal of an application by the property owner, which includes income verification from each tenant. The rental property must have six or fewer units, and at least 51% of the units in the project must be occupied by low-to-moderate income tenants. For example, in a three-unit building, two of the units must be occupied by low-to-moderate income tenants. The income limit is defined by a household’s total income being less than 80% of the Area Median Income, which can be found at this link.

The Healthy Houses Program is designed to enhance living conditions for tenants by addressing critical housing needs, including heating and cooling systems that contribute to safe and healthy environments. The grant will enable Galesburg to upgrade HVAC systems in eligible rental properties, ensuring more residents have access to reliable and energy-efficient climate control.

Housing revitalization is a significant need and priority for the City of Galesburg. The city has been strategically working to improve housing conditions through a multifaceted approach, which includes enforcing property maintenance codes, repairing homes through grant opportunities, and demolishing and removing dilapidated structures. An interactive map on the city’s website illustrates the progress made towards housing revitalization since 2019, which includes removal of 77 dilapidated structures, lead remediation of 82 homes through a HUD grant, and repair of 112 homes through grants from DCEO, IHDA and the City of Galesburg Local Housing Repair Grant.

This initiative complements Galesburg's ongoing commitment to housing revitalization. One additional grant in the city’s portfolio - the DCEO CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program - is currently accepting applications. The IHDA Home Repair and Accessibility Program will open in the near future and the Housing Repair Assistance Program will re-open in January 2026.

Information on housing grants is available on the city’s website. To receive updates on housing grants, visit the e-notify page and subscribe to the “Housing Grants” category.