There will soon be 30 new houses built in Peoria’s East Bluff neighborhood.
The Peoria City Council last night approved the construction of the new homes through funding by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The homes are intended to be affordable for low-income families.
Councilman John Kelly was the lone vote against the project. He said it would cause rent in nearby older housing to drop, which would then lead to poorer housing stocks.
“Good intentions are no substitute for reality — not a good substitute for good economics,” Kelly said.
But Councilman Sid Ruckriegel disagreed.
“If we have a stabilized area, rents should be able to go up for those landlords because there is more of a commitment they see into the area,” Ruckriegel said. “Dollar for dollar, we’re getting a lot of bang for the buck here.”
The council voted 9-1 to approve the new houses. The Peoria Opportunities Foundation will oversee construction.
Meanwhile, the council also approved an intergovernmental agreement with Peoria Public Schools to put a police officer at all three high schools. The school district reimburse the city about $183,000 for the officers.
