CHICAGO, Illinois — The Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP) will reopen in Early December 2021.
ILRPP will provide direct funding to Illinois tenants unable to pay their rent due to COVID-19 related losses of income. It's not, automatic though. People affected need to apply for these grants, and could receive up to $25,000 paid directly to their landlords on their behalf.
According to the Illinois Housing Development Authority, if a landlord chooses not to participate in the program, the grants can be paid directly to the tenant to then make a payment to their landlord to cover back rent and some future months.
In this application round, assistance will cover up to 18 months of emergency rental payments, including up to 15 months of missed payments and up to three months of future rent payments. The rent owed from June 2020 through April 2022 can be utilized with the ILRPP funds. Applications are prioritized based on households earning less than 50% of the area median income and to households with one or more members who have been unemployed for at least 90 days.
Other eligibility requirements include:
- Household lives in Illinois and rents their home as their primary residence.
- Household must have experienced a financial hardship directly or indirectly due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Household income is below 80% the Area Median Income, adjusted for household size.
- Household must have unpaid rent balance.
- Proof of citizenship is not required. Rental assistance is not a "public charge" benefit according to the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
- Tenants residing in state or federally subsidized housing are eligible to apply.
In the first round of ILRPP applications, more than 57,000 applications were approved and the Illinois Housing Development Authority paid out nearly $540 million.
Applications for the next round of payments will be accepted beginning Monday, December 6th, 2021 through 11:59 pm on Sunday, January 9th, 2022.
For renters who are in need of immediate assistance, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is currently accepting applications for rental assistance. Households looking for assistance should contact an IDHS Service Provider Agency to ask about rental assistance. Provider Agencies will help you determine if you are eligible and help you apply for rental assistance. A list of Provider Agencies, as well as organizations helping with utility bills, free legal aid, and additional services can be found by clicking here.
For additional information and updates, please visit illinoishousinghelp.org.
