On January 25, 2011, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved application for a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development grant to be shared by Lake and Cook counties in the amount of approximately $580,000 for rehabilitation of 16 homes and four businesses.
Nancy Grabko of the Lake and Cook County Joint Housing Initiative talked about the success of previous grant projects since the program started several years ago. “It doesn’t just mean that we have rehabbed homes and made them safe and decent to live in,” she said. “We have added jobs….”
Grabko said funders are preferring to give grants to collaborative ventures, giving this twocounty collaboration a leg up in the competition.
Last year, the program was able to see its projects 75 percent complete within nine months. Mike Littfin of the Grand Marais-Cook County Economic Development Authority (EDA), which is overseeing Cook County’s part of the Lake and Cook County Joint Housing Initiative, said normally, grantees get two years to get things done. This program is becoming viewed as “a model of efficiency.”
“These funds have become very, very competitive,” Grabko said. “There is no guarantee that we’ll get these funds, but I think it’s looking pretty good.”
“Your work is much appreciated,” said Commissioner Sue Hakes.
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