Low-income households across DuPage County stand to get lower utility bills and more stable housing after the county's Human Services Committee unanimously approved more than $1.6 million in weatherization and homeless services contracts on Tuesday, Aug. 4, according to committee minutes.

Eligible residents in Elmhurst, Villa Park and Oakbrook Terrace can apply for the countywide programs.

The largest single item: a $1 million contract with A Lugan Contractors, LLC, for architectural and mechanical work on multi-family weatherization projects, running through Nov. 15, 2027. Committee member Dawn DeSart moved the item; Kari Galassi seconded it.

A separate $104,000 contract with Community and Economic Development of Cook County will fund weatherization at College Park Apartments through the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program. A third contract, $25,000 to Crowley Engineering for related engineering services, rounds out the weatherization spending at $1.129 million.

The committee also approved two HUD Continuum of Care grant proposals totaling $302,830 for homeless services: $212,094 for the FY 2026 Continuum of Care Competition and Youth Homeless Demonstration Program, and $90,736 for coordinated entry services.

A $169,000 agreement with the DuPage Housing Authority will continue the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which helps residents build savings and move toward financial independence. At the same meeting, Community Services Director Mary Keating reported that three recent graduates of the program had retrieved escrow funds. Among them, one earned a Bachelor's degree, one earned a Master's degree and one pursued a career in the trades. One graduate also received the state-level Family of Distinction honor.

Federal funding uncertainty

The approvals come as DuPage County navigates an uncertain federal funding landscape. In April, Keating told the committee that President Trump's 2027 budget request "zeros out all of the Community Services' programs," adding that the county would "wait and see what Congress does," according to April committee minutes.

The weatherization contracts draw from state grants the committee accepted in June: $974,465 from the IHWAP HHS Grant and $609,599 from the IHWAP State Grant for program year 2027, according to June committee minutes.

Who qualifies

Households earning at or below 200% of the federal poverty level qualify for IHWAP weatherization services. Under current guidelines, that means income up to $31,920 for a single person or $66,000 for a family of four, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Housing and shelter needs account for 42% of all requests handled by 211 DuPage, the county's social services referral line, with utilities making up another 18%.

What's next

All items approved Aug. 4 were sent to Finance and require full County Board ratification before the contracts take effect. The committee's next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 9:30 a.m.