County Of Will

County of Will is a U.S. local government entity based in Joliet, Illinois, registered to receive federal awards since May 2005. The county functions as a governmental jurisdiction providing essential public services and community development support to its residents. As a grant recipient, County of Will primarily provides services related to affordable housing, homelessness prevention, community development, public safety, and workforce development through various federal grant programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Justice, and other federal agencies.

County of Will has demonstrated substantial engagement with federal grant funding across multiple program areas and service categories. In housing and community development, the county has received substantial formula grants under HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program ($1,181,190.15 awarded September 2025) and multiple Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) awards for entitlement communities, supporting affordable housing rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance, rental housing construction and acquisition, and community economic development initiatives. The county has also been awarded Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) totaling $149,788 (September 2025) to support street outreach, emergency shelter operations, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing services for individuals and families experiencing housing crises. In public safety and criminal justice, County of Will received a $749,991 Drug Court Discretionary Grant from the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance to operate the Will County Drug Court program, providing substance use disorder treatment and court supervision to 328 participants, with subawards to culturally-specific organizations including the Spanish Center and Forest Park Community Center. The county also received a $253,493 Veterans Treatment Court grant to serve justice-involved veterans through diversion and treatment services. Additionally, County of Will serves as a sub-recipient for numerous federal grants administered through Illinois state agencies, including Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity supporting workforce training and employment services to approximately 800 residents annually, Social Services Block Grants and Child Care Development Block Grants through the Illinois Department of Human Services, substance abuse prevention initiatives through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, public health programs including oral health promotion and adolescent health services through the Illinois Department of Public Health, emergency management and homeland security programs through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and transportation services including paratransit coordination through the Regional Transportation Authority.