CHICAGO – As part of his Keep Warm Illinois campaign, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced more than $100,000 in affordable housing construction grants that will allow non-profit housing developers to use energy efficient design in 50 new construction units, greatly reducing monthly utility bills for low-income residents in Central Illinois.

“As energy prices continue to soar, we need to work harder than ever to find innovative solutions to help Illinois residents manage their home utility bills, especially families already struggling to get by.  Investing in energy efficient design in new construction yields major cost savings from day one and is the optimal way to ensure that affordable housing truly remains affordable for low-income residents across Central Illinois,” said Gov. Blagojevich.

Under the Energy Efficient Affordable Housing Construction Program, grants are provided to Illinois based non-profit housing developers to include energy efficient building practices in the rehab or new construction of affordable housing units. Average energy savings range from 50 to 75 percent per unit.
The list of grant recipients follows:

Grantee	Project Location	City	Grant Amount
Dove, Inc.	825 E. Clay Street	Decatur	$16,750
IL Community Action Dev Corp	8901 Chandlerville	Beardstown	$84,750

“Gov. Blagojevich’s Energy Efficient Affordable Housing Construction Program is a critical resource for our community because it is helping build homes that offer residents a manageable cost of living.  This is another fine example of how economic development efforts make the greatest impact when working at the community level,” said State Senator John Sullivan (D-Rushville).

“Energy efficient design applies the same kind of forward thinking approach to home construction that we want to utilize in all government decision making, but particularly in economic development.  These affordable housing units will greatly increase energy efficiency and drastically reduce utility costs, producing savings that low-income residents can spend on other necessities.  Gov. Blagojevich believes this is the kind of investment that will generate a return which the whole community can feel,” Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Jack Lavin said.

Gov. Blagojevich launched the comprehensive Keep Warm Illinois campaign in response to the spike in energy prices that is affecting consumers nationwide.  State agencies are coordinating their efforts to ensure Illinois residents have the information and resources they need to better manage their home energy costs. 

Efforts include the Web site, www.KeepWarm.Illinois.gov, which offers energy saving tips, a web-based tool to conduct home energy audits, information on energy assistance programs and schedules for home weatherization and energy assistance events.  Residents can also call the Keep Warm Illinois hotline at 1-877-411-WARM to learn how to conserve energy and apply for energy assistance.  To ensure that Illinoisans have the assistance they need with skyrocketing energy costs, Gov. Blagojevich also continues to call upon President Bush and Congressional leaders to approve additional federal funding for programs that help low-income families pay their utility bills and weatherize their homes.