East Central Reporter

Illinois State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) has encouraged victims impacted by the recent tornado in Marion County to apply for grant money to put toward housing. 

Wilhour shared details about the grant in an April 13 Facebook post.

"If you were impacted by the recent tornado in Salem or the Marion County area, you may be able to receive a grant up to $500 from the Illinois REALTORS to help with housing costs," Wilhour wrote in the post. "Please share this information with your friends and neighbors in Marion County."

Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Effingham | Photo Courtesy of Blaine Wilhour

Wilhour shared a link to a news release on his official website that expanded on the information shared on his Facebook page. According to the release, qualified applicants can use the money to put toward the monthly mortgage for the primary residence that was damaged by the March/April tornado, rental costs or temporary shelter due to displacement by the tornado, or unreimbursed losses such as insurance deductibles or other home-related costs not covered by insurance as a result of damages caused by the tornado. This relief funding is only for housing and the deadline to apply is July 1. Recipients can receive up to $500 per household. In the release, Wilhour said, “I encourage everyone in Marion County impacted by this devastating disaster to apply for this assistance. Thank you to the Illinois REALTORS for this opportunity to help the people in need from the recent tornado that came through Salem.”

Folks who qualify for the disaster relief can find the grant application online. It outlines all the requirements and noted that the money is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

The National Weather Service broke down the events that began on March 31, including specific notes about where tornadoes occurred during the tornado outbreak. That information is available here on the NWS website.