Embarras River Basin Agency Inc.

Embarras River Basin Agency Inc., a woman-owned nonprofit tax-exempt organization based in Greenup, Illinois, operates as a federal grant recipient focused on homelessness services, housing preservation, and community development programming for low-income populations across Illinois.

The organization operates predominantly as a prime grant recipient (53% of 129 recent awards) and as a sub-recipient through Illinois state agencies (47% of awards). Embarras River Basin Agency Inc. does not hold federal contracts or contract vehicles; its entire footprint consists of federal grants and sub-grants from HUD and the Department of Health and Human Services. Recent prime grant work includes a $390,275 Continuum of Care Program (CFDA 14.267) award from HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027; a $191,318 Continuum of Care award for the same performance period; and a $100,055 Continuum of Care award running through June 30, 2027. The organization also received a Rural Housing Preservation Grant from the USDA Single Family Housing Program awarded August 29, 2026 with completion targeted for October 29, 2027, and a Head Start Project Grant (CFDA 93.600) from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families effective April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2030.

Customer concentration is heavily skewed to HUD and state pass-through funding. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development accounts for 60 awards across the recent portfolio, dominating the Continuum of Care space; the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families accounts for 38 awards combined (30 plus 4 plus 2 plus 2), representing Head Start and related children's programming. These two funding streams represent 76% of total awards. The organization's combined dollars obligated across all 129 awards totals $158.5 million, with the vast majority flowing through HUD's Continuum of Care Program and state-administered workforce, housing assistance, and energy programs.

Embarras River Basin Agency Inc. serves as a sub-recipient on programs flowing through Illinois state agencies including the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Illinois State Board of Education, and Housing Action Illinois. Sub-award work includes Social Services Block Grant pass-throughs, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) for employment training and education support, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) awards for utility bill assistance, weatherization assistance, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursement processing, comprehensive housing counseling, and Emergency Solutions assistance. Recent sub-awards include a $50,000 housing counseling sub-award from an unspecified HUD program to support the Remain in Our Homes — Healthy Homes project, announced September 4, 2025, and recurring weatherization and LIHEAP sub-awards dating back to June 2024.

Activity scaled significantly between 2022 and 2023 (4 awards to 37), then contracted to 22 awards in 2024, 15 in 2025, and 10 in 2026. Seven awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months and will require recompete. The organization's grant portfolio is cyclical and renewal-driven, with Continuum of Care awards typically running twelve-month or multi-year cycles from July 1, and sub-awards flowing throughout the fiscal year from state pass-through programs.