South Central Illinois Regional Planning & Development Commission

07/24/2026

Hot off the presses: our quarterly newsletter!

Email from South Central Planning South Central Illinois Regional Planning & Development Commission The Regional Link Summer 2026 Edition Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper and Marion Counties IHDA want

07/02/2026

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has begun accepting applications for the FY-27 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program. Eligible projects can request up to $1,125,000 for land acquisition and $600,000 for recreational improvements. For economically distressed communities, IDNR will cover 100% of project costs and 50% for all other awarded applications. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, pickleball courts, playground equipment, walking paths, water recreation, basketball courts, and baseball/softball fields. Think you might have a project? Contact us today to see how we can assist you!

06/25/2026

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has announced a new funding opportunity under their Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Funding for community revitalization (CDBG-CR) is being offered for projects involving improvements to downtown districts. Award maximum is $2,000,000 as reimbursement only. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted. If you have any questions or are interested in pursuing funding from this program, please contact Brooke Frederick ([email protected])

05/21/2026

Big thank you to 6:10 Coffee Company for surprising us with some fun drinks earlier this week! The SCIRPDC crew were buzzing and full of energy for our communities after our short drink break.

This fun crew at Spirpdc were the Brew for your Crew winners this week! Drop your business card in the tip jar for a chance to win Brew for your Crew!! (Salem businesses only. Please write the number of employees on your card. Limit 12 drinks per business.) 👩‍💼 👨‍💼🥤☕️ ❤️ourcustomers

05/06/2026

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has announced that they are now accepting grant applications for year three of their Strong Communities Program (SCP). Grant funding reimburses costs associated with acquiring, rehabilitating, or demolishing dilapidated and abandoned housing structures to awarded entities. The goal of this program is to assist in revitalizing communities, mitigating public health and safety hazards, and increasing property values in order to drive economic development. Total funding available is $9 million. Award requests can range from $50,000 to $750,000. Applications are due by June 16th. If you have any questions or are interested in pursuing funding from this program, please reach out to SCIRPDC.

04/30/2026

Newest edition of the Regional Link just dropped. Catch it here:

Email from South Central Planning South Central Illinois Regional Planning & Development Commission The Regional Link Spring 2026 Edition Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper and Marion Counties IHDA anno