CHICAGO (WREX) 鈥� More than 1,250 small cities, towns, and villages in Illinois that haven't already received federal aid from the American Rescue Plan can now apply for more than $742 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
鈥淔rom the beginning of the pandemic, Illinois has taken action to quickly and equitably address the needs facing our local communities,鈥� Gov. JB Pritzker said.聽鈥淚 encourage every eligible community to apply for this available funding as we continue to build a strong recovery for all of our families.鈥�
Illinois established a website for local governments to claim funds聽. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2021. There will be no other opportunity for municipalities to apply for funding.
To be eligible for this round of funding, cities, towns, and villages must have less than 50,000 residents and did not already receive direct aid from the American Rescue Plan.
These smaller, so-called non-entitlement units of local government (NEUs), are being allocated funds they can use to cover revenue losses and the costs of responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency or to its negative economic impacts on households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest-hit by the crisis. These funds can also be used to invest in building, maintaining, or upgrading water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
