Springfield to invest $400K in job training to help build more affordable housing

SPRINGFIELD, Ill - (WICS/WRSP) — The City of Springfield is investing $400,000 directly into job training and affordable housing.

Through community input, the city decided to use federal CARES Act funding to train people for construction jobs, and then put those skills to work to help clean up blight and offer more affordable places to live.

The plan revolves around the Southtown Construction Training Center. It's there that owner Calvin Pitts will teach 20 people the skills needed to work in home construction.

Mayor Jim Langfelder says the center will then choose up to four abandoned properties on the city's east side to redevelop into affordable housing.

"It's basically anywhere from 11th Street east," Langfelder said. "The point we want to get to is instead of demolishing properties, how can we save those."

The funding includes $75,000 for the job training program and $325,000 to redevelop two to four homes.

Pitts says he hopes to get the program started within the next month. After that, the job training is expected to last around 12 weeks. He says no specific housing sites have been chosen yet.

The city will use the rest of the $799,000 in total funding on a homeless outreach position and other community investments.