Monday, September 28, 2009

$500,000 for building rehab, and nothing to show for it

Sun-Times:
Besides getting $1.2 million in state health department money for HIV and AIDS prevention, the Let's Talk, Let's Test Foundation has also gotten $500,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to buy and rehabilitate a nine-unit apartment building on the South Side.

Let's Talk, Let's Test paid $379,000 in July 2007 to buy the building at 7948 S. Evans.

The foundation had planned to use the remaining money from the commerce department for renovations so it could then rent out the building and use the income for future HIV-testing and AIDS-awareness activities.

But the rehab project cost more than planned, and the foundation ran out of money to finish it, according to Lloyd Kelly, the foundation's executive director.

So, more than two years after the foundation bought the building, it remains vacant. In July, city building inspectors declared it "vacant and open," which could lead to demolition proceedings.
Here's an approximate location via Google Street View!

View Larger Map

UPDATE 10:46 Another Sun-Times article on the money provided by the state government for this AIDS organization and the investigation into their finances as well as the politicians who support this organization.
Four years ago, the Let's Talk, Let's Test Foundation helped persuade Illinois legislators to spend $3 million a year to fight the spread of AIDS in African-American communities.

The Chicago not-for-profit organization -- founded by state Rep. Connie Howard (D-Chicago) -- went on to get $1.2 million in taxpayer money from that program, called the African American HIV/AIDS Response Fund.

Now, state health department officials are questioning $523,545 in spending by Let's Talk, Let's Test. The expenses being scrutinized range from the purchase of a skybox at a college football game at Soldier Field to five-figure "bonus" payments to two staffers, state records show.

Federal authorities also are looking into the foundation. "As of today, we can confirm that the U.S. attorney's office is investigating the LTLT matter," Kelly Jakubek, communications manager for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said Friday.

An FBI agent had attended an Aug. 25 state hearing looking into the expenses.

Federal authorities declined to comment.

The August 2005 passage of the African American HIV/AIDS Response Fund law, which Howard co-sponsored, laid the groundwork for Let's Talk, Let's Test to see a big boost in its state funding. State health officials picked the group to "develop a statewide African-American HIV prevention plan" and to coordinate HIV testing efforts in black communities. It was chosen based on its three years of experience raising awareness about HIV on Chicago's South and West sides.
...
The foundation also had a who's-who of leaders in Chicago's black community as unpaid board members. They included Howard, a South Side state representative; U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), now a candidate for Cook County Board president; Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th), and former Cook County Commissioner Bobbie Steele.

But the agency's finances have tanked since 2007. The foundation is now $950,000 in debt, according to its executive director, Lloyd Kelly. In April, the Illinois attorney general's office revoked the foundation's ability to solicit donations because it had failed to file a report on its 2008 finances, as state law requires.

Kelly and Howard blame state health officials for the group's problems, noting that the health department scrapped plans to give it another $1.2 million last year. And they say no money has been misspent.

No comments:

Post a Comment

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Comment Moderating and Anonymous Comment Policy

While anonymous comments are not prohibited we do encourage you to help readers identify you so that other commenters may respond to you. Either read the moderating policy for how or leave an identifier (which could be a nickname for example) at the end of the comment.

Also note that this blog is NOT associated with any public or political officials including Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer!