If you're unable to pay your rent due to COVID-19, the state of Illinois is offering one-time grants of $5,000 per household, with a total of $300 million in rent and mortgage relief expected to be paid out this fall. Eligible applicants must be experiencing a loss of income due to COVID-19, have an unpaid rent balance that began after March 1, 2020, and have a household income lower than the maximum allowed for their area.
Applications are being accepted from Monday, August 10 through Friday, August 21, giving renters just 12 days to apply. You can check your eligibility before starting the application process. It's worth noting that applicants must also engage their landlord to provide documentation of the claim. Approved applicants may be notified as early as August 25, and all grants are paid directly to landlords. This comes just ahead of the states eviction ban expiring on Saturday, August 22.
Homeowners seeking mortgage relief will be able to fill out a separate application starting on Monday, August 24, with one-time grants of $15,000 awarded to those selected. In total, the grants are expected to help 30,000 renters and 15,000 homeowners across the state of Illinois.
The city of Chicago is also offering rental assistance to "individuals and families that are at risk of becoming homeless." Applications for rental assistance from the city of Chicago are due on Friday, August 14; eligible households must have experienced a documented crisis or emergency in the past 90 days, including temporary loss of income, fire or flood, court order to vacate or domestic violence. The city aims to help 10,000 residents, with individual grants totaling $2,000 to $3,000. This is Chicago's second round of rental-assistance grants, with the first round netting over 80,000 applicants.
If you still have questions about either rental assistance program, check out the states's and city's FAQ pages for additional information on eligibility and payment.
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