$113M in violence prevention funding opens for Illinois community organizations
CHICAGO - The second round of Illinois violence prevention funding opened up Monday with $113 million available for community organizations across the state.
Grants are available to organizations in 42 areas across the state that have a high concentration of gun violence. Twenty-six of those communities are located in Chicago.
The funding is a part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's three-year plan called the Reimagine Public Safety Act which encourages more youth programming, job training and trauma-informed mental health care, among other resources.
"This is an unprecedented effort to stop the cycle of violence in our communities and invest resources in the communities where they are needed the most," Pritzker said in a statement. "From expanding summer jobs, to investing in behavioral health programs and youth development, we are bringing historic levels of funding to proven programs that prevent violence and keep people safe."
Last November, Pritzker declared gun violence a public health crisis in Illinois.
"We will do what it takes, individually and collectively to address the immediate violence on our streets and invest in fighting the underlying causes that create too much despair, too much addiction, too little mental health treatment and too few opportunities," Pritzker said at the time.
Illinois officials said they expect to finalize grant agreements before the beginning of summer.
To apply for funding, click here to visit the state's website.
Organizations in the following communities across the state are encouraged to apply:
Chicago
- Ashburn
- Auburn Gresham
- Austin
- Burnside
- Chatham
- Chicago Lawn
- East Garfield Park
- Englewood
- Fuller Park
- Greater Grand Crossing
- Humboldt Park
- New City
- North Lawndale
- Northside Cluster (Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Logan Square, Avondale, Irving Park, Albany Park)
- Riverdale
- Roseland
- South Chicago
- South Deering
- South Lawndale
- South Shore
- Southwest side Cluster (Lower West Side, Brighton Park, Gage Park, McKinley Park)
- Washington Park
- West Englewood
- West Garfield Park
- West Pullman
- Woodlawn
Greater Illinois Eligible Municipalities/Municipal Areas
- Aurora
- Belleville Cluster (Includes Belleville, East St. Louis, and Cahokia Heights)
- Berwyn-Cicero Cluster
- Calumet City Cluster (Includes Calumet City, Harvey, Dolton, Riverdale, South Holland, Markham, Lansing)
- Chicago Heights Cluster (Includes Chicago Heights, Park Forest, and Sauk Village)
- Danville
- Decatur
- Joliet
- Kankakee
- Maywood-Bellwood Cluster
- Peoria
- Rock Island
- Rockford
- Springfield
- Urbana-Champaign Cluster
- Waukegan-North Chicago Cluster