Neighborhood Services and Equity and Engagement Departments Relocating to New Offices
On February 27, 2023, the City of Champaign’s Neighborhood Services and Equity and Engagement Departments will begin serving the public from a new location in Downtown Champaign. The new offices are located at 205 W. Park Avenue, just west of the Virginia Theatre and a short walk from their current home in the City Building. […]
Resource Fair for Displaced Residents
On Friday and Saturday, January 20-21, the community came together to support residents of Champaign Park Apartments who had recently been displaced. The Equity and Engagement Department, in collaboration with the Neighborhood Services Department and other community organizations, hosted a resource fair at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department and Y on the Fly. Nine community […]
Extension Granted for Federal Home Loan Bank Grant
In June 2019, the City of Champaign Neighborhood Services Department partnered with Busey Bank to apply for a highly competitive Affordable Housing Program grant through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLB). In November 2019, the Neighborhood Services Department received notice that they were approved to receive the amount of $67,500 for the purpose […]
Neighborhood Ambassadors Deliver Presents to Shadowwood Residents
On December 21, 2022, the City’s Neighborhood Ambassadors helped spread the holiday spirit by delivering presents to children in the Shadowwood neighborhood with a holiday drive. La Casa Cultural Latina at the University of Illinois gifted 250 presents and toys to the Shadowwood neighborhood, which the City’s Neighborhood Ambassadors wrapped and delivered. The Neighborhood Ambassadors […]
Neighborhood Services Department Celebrates 30 Years
The Neighborhood Services Department (NSD) was created in 1992 to address neighborhood needs by utilizing the City’s Neighborhood Wellness Action Plan, coordinating neighborhood-based City services, and taking the lead on public information and citizen participation activities. The Department provides services and programs that directly contribute to healthy, thriving neighborhoods. NSD is comprised of three unique […]
City Leads Blanket Drive on Behalf of Strides Low Barrier Shelter
The new Strides Low Barrier Shelter is scheduled to open on December 12, 2022. As part of their tangible needs, Strides staff included fleece blankets on their “wish list”, with a goal of securing 100 blankets prior to the shelter open date. Over the past month, the City’s Neighborhood Ambassadors (Neighborhood Services Department) collected blankets […]
Overview of Neighborhood Ambassador Program Presented to Strides Staff
The Strides Low Barrier Shelter is scheduled to open on December 12, 2022. This week, Neighborhood Ambassador Supervisor, Jacqueline Kalipeni, met with the Strides staff at the Champaign Public Library to provide an overview of the Neighborhood Ambassador Program. Strides will host their Community Service Day events on December 8 and 9. The service day […]
Hedge POP! Park Featured by American Planning Association
The American Planning Association is a not-for-profit professional association for planners and has over 40,000 members. The APA recently took note of the City’s efforts with the Hedge POP! Park and sought to have the effort featured as part of their Equity in Practice series. The blog post features the experience of the City in […]
Neighborhood Ambassadors Support Diwali Festival of Lights
On November 4, the Neighborhood Ambassadors supported the BAPS Campus Fellowship in their Diwali Festival of Lights celebration in collaboration with Hindu YUVA UIUC and the Vivekananda House. The event brought residents, students, and staff together to learn about the practices of Diwali and allowed participants to experience this tradition. The Neighborhood Services Department was […]
Housing and Homeless Innovations (HHI) Consolidated Application
On November 4, the Cities of Champaign and Urbana published the Housing and Homeless Innovations (HHI) Consolidated Application for agencies that support affordable housing development and homeless services in Champaign County. A total of $5.8 million in grant funds are available to support permanent affordable housing units, homeless shelters, tenant-based rental assistance and program management, […]