EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — "We need to make sure that all of the people who should have been taken care of, that their houses get fixed first," said East St. Louis Councilman Ryan Cason told a huge crowd Thursday night.
Several dozen fired-up citizens packed the meeting at City Hall.
"I don't trust them," said 74-year-old Eloise Taylor.
Taylor was one of the many who wanted to know the status of a senior home repair project East St. Louis city councilmembers unanimously approved last November.
"All I want for my home is what's missing. I'm talking about gutters and windows. That's all I want," Taylor said.
"We advertised first come, first served and that's what we should have done," said Councilman Ryan Cason.
Cason said the council agreed to give more than 90 citizens a $12,000 grant that would help them fix up their homes.
Cason said federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act and state dollars were earmarked to pay for the project.
"This was to help all of our citizens with floor, porches, roofs and more," he said, adding the City hired two contractors to help kick it off.
It's been nine months and so far, the repairs have only been completed at two homes.
Moreover, now there are allegations that someone removed the names of citizens approved for the project from a list and replaced them with the names of politicians and their friends.
"I don't know all of the details yet, but I know that these people, some of these people, shouldn't have been on the list," Cason said.
The council didn't address the allegations Thursday night.
However, it did admit the city "made missteps and even failed when it comes to the home improvement project.
"I have not been satisfied with the senior rehab since day one," Councilman Courtney Hoffman II told the council and crowd.
Before the meeting wrapped up, council members told residents "It's not a question of if, but when" the senior rehabbing program will move forward.
They also promised the citizens they would deliver and said not to worry.