CHICAGO — Applications for the second round of rental assistance funding are now available to help Illinois residents who have experienced economic hardship due to the pandemic.
The Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP) will deploy multiple rounds of funding totaling $1.1 billion to renters and landlords to prevent evictions, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
An additional $400 million in rental assistance will be provided by larger municipalities and the state will provide a separate program to support homeowners with $400 million in mortgage assistance.
Gov. Pritzker also signed HB 2877 into law establishing a new plan to distribute rental assistance to residents and provide for sealing of evictions records until Aug. 1, 2022.
“It was clear when we implemented last year’s housing relief programs that the need was far greater than the dollars allocated to our state. That’s why I’m pleased to announce today that Illinois is expanding rental relief to $1.5 billion, nearly 4 times the amount that was available last year,” said Pritzker.
ILRPP builds on the rental assistance program launched last year, delivering more than $329 million in housing payment grants to more than 56,000 renters and homeowners across the state. The new rental programs are expected to assist more than 120,000 households.
“At a time when so many are facing financial hardship and uncertainty, it was critical that the government provide assistance to keep families in their homes. That’s why I strongly supported this funding for rental assistance in our federal COVID relief packages,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “I encourage anyone struggling to pay rent to see if they qualify for this assistance.”
Approved applicants will receive one-time grants of up to $25,000 paid directly to their landlords to cover missed rent payments as far back as June 2020 and prepay payments through Aug. 2021, or until the $25,000 is exhausted. Applications for ILRPP will be accepted from May 17 through June 7.
Tenant eligibility requirements:
- Household must have experienced a financial hardship directly or indirectly due to the pandemic.
- 2020 household income was below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), adjusted for household size.
- The household lives in Illinois and rents their home as their primary residence.
- Household must have an unpaid rent balance.
- Priority will be given to households earning less than 50% of AMI and to households with one or more members that have been unemployed for at least 90 days.
Those interested in applying can do so on the Illinois Rental Payment Program website.
Watch Pritzker's full press conference in the video player below: