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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois' rental assistance program has restarted. Here's what you need to know.
Struggling to pay your rent? Need to get paid for rent you are owed? There's a solution for those issues again after a two-month hiatus: Illinois' court-based rental assistance program reopened on July 31. While the program saw a third of its funds wiped away for the 2026 fiscal year that began July 1, $50 million in state funds are available. The reduction came as rents in Chicago keep rising and after the state grappled with serious fiscal challenges when balancing its budget this year, issues exacerbated by a federal government focused on axing spending. State lawmakers cut spending in various areas beyond housing as well. The state rental assistance program was previously funded by federal aid distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic and focused on helping tenants experiencing COVID-19-related hardships and at risk of eviction. The program has helped tens of thousands of renters and landlords since its inception in 2020. In the 2025 fiscal year, the inaugural year as a state-funded effort, more than $63 million in aid was distributed to help more than 7,680 families facing eviction. Around 39% of aided households were extremely low income, earning less than $36,000 a year for a household of four, the state said. The need was greater than the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the group in charge of administering the funds, expected, the agency said, which is why the program closed about three weeks before the end of the last fiscal year. Eviction filings in Cook County have hovered around pre-pandemic levels since 2022. Here's what you need to know about the state's court-based rental assistance program: Eligible tenants have to make 80% or less of the area median income and do not have to be facing a COVID-19-related hardship. For a household of four in Chicago, the income eligibility threshold is $95,900 or less, according to the Chicago Department of Housing's area median income calculations. For this year's round of assistance, the state said tenants will be ineligible if they have received aid in the last 18 months. Renters do not have to prove their citizenship status and must have an active eviction case due to nonpayment of rent to qualify. Housing providers are not allowed to evict tenants during the grant's coverage period for nonpayment of rent. For tenants whose landlords are unwilling to participate in the program, the state offers up to two months of future rent payments to help them find a new place to live. Renters in Chicago and Cook County maintain the right to stay in their homes if they pay their debts in full to their landlord at any time before an official eviction order is filed. Tenants and landlords can receive up to $10,000 in rental assistance per eviction case. This is a reduction from last year's $15,000 ceiling when the program was better funded. Kristin Faust, the Illinois Housing Development Authority's executive director, previously told the Tribune this decision was made based on data from last year's program and conversations with legal aid, tenants and landlords. The average grant amount last year was around $8,300, or eight months of rent. The authority estimates about 6,500 households will be able to receive assistance this year. The money can go toward paying past-due rent, up to $700 in court costs — up from $500 last year — and up to two months of future rent. To apply for the Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program, go to The court-based rental assistance program is just one aspect of the state's eviction diversion program, known formally as the Early Resolution Program. Tenants and small landlords can also receive legal aid to help settle eviction cases before they go to trial. Those resources can be found at or by calling (855) 956-5763. The central hub for eviction help in the state is a website called Eviction Help Illinois: There are also separate rental assistance dollars allocated to the Illinois Department of Human Services, with $89.5 million total (including the $50 million court-based program) earmarked to support those efforts this fiscal year, the state said. More information for IDHS housing support programs can be found here: A three-year Chicago pilot program aiding low-income households with legal representation was recently extended through the end of the year thanks to carryover funds from its initial grant (federal stimulus money from the pandemic era) and city dollars, said Michelle Gilbert, legal and policy director for Law Center for Better Housing, one of the organizations involved in the program. The city will need to appropriate more funds in next year's budget (starting Jan. 1, 2026) for the program to continue.
Chicago Tribune
23-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Wilmette adopts initial plan to boost affordable housing from 4.8% to required 10%
Wilmette elected officials have adopted a new plan for achieving affordable housing goals after a review by the Illinois Housing Development Authority last year found this housing stock lacking in the village. The plan, approved unanimously by the Wilmette Village Board on June 10, is the first piece in a more robust housing plan that will be developed by the village and the Wilmette Housing Commission over the next 12 to 18 months, Village Manager Michael Braiman said. 'This is more of a bare bones plan that has to conform to certain requirements that the state lays out,' he said. 'Our comprehensive plan is going to be much more strategic, have a lot more detail and strategies, and policy changes we can consider putting in place that will hopefully move the needle and encourage more affordable housing in the community.' Under the 2003 Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act (AHPAA), Illinois communities with populations over 1,000 must have 10% of their housing stock meet the state definition of affordable. Affordable housing prices and rents are calculated based on the median income for the metropolitan statistical area, which is the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet area, said Lisa Roberts, deputy director of community development for the village of Wilmette. During a 2023 review, the Illinois Housing Development Authority found that only 4.8% of Wilmette's housing is deemed affordable under the state's formula, which triggered a requirement that the village update its plan for meeting the 10% threshold, Roberts said. To meet this requirement, the village needs to add 532 affordable units, she said. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD defines individuals who earn less than 80 percent of their area's median income as low- and moderate-income earners, according to previous reporting. According to the Illinois Housing Development Authority, an individual earning $50,400 annually in Cook County would place at 60% of median income, and someone earning $67,150 would place at 80% of median income. Salaries of many teachers and office workers fall into those income levels. According to the Cook County Assessor's Office, the 2024 median sale price for single-family homes in New Trier township, which includes Wilmette, was $1.3 million. The plan adopted on June 10 is similar to the village's 2005 affordable housing plan as it also calls for 15% of new multi-family development units to be affordable under the state's definition. Trustee Mark Steen questioned how realistically the village's goal can be achieved and in what time frame. Because only 15% of new multi-family units in a larger development would need to be affordable, he suggested that as many as 15,000 units would need to be constructed in total in order to get to the 532 affordable units the village needs to be compliant with the state. 'I want us to be aware of what we're actually talking about in terms of how long it takes to get to the goal,' he said. Village President Senta Plunkett noted it will be important to discuss how Wilmette can keep its stock of affordable housing that is already attainable. 'We don't expect to double the size of Wilmette,' she said. 'We don't have the space. People don't want highrises here.' There are currently 10,331 total housing units within the village of Wilmette, according to AHPAA. Of these, 501 are deemed affordable. Trustee Gerry Smith cautioned the village to 'be careful in our definitions,' stressing that 'low income housing' is not the same as affordable housing. Smith's comments came after a speaker, who did not give his name, made references to Chicago public housing high rises of the 1960s in his remarks opposing affordable housing in Wilmette. According to village officials, Wilmette was successful in adding affordable housing units between 2004 and 2018 through new developments such as Mallinckrodt in the Park on Ridge Road, which resulted in 12 then-affordable condominium units for residents 55 years and over; Cleland Place, a 16-unit rental building; and Residences of Wilmette on Green Bay Road, described as a 'market rate rental building.' The new plan identifies 16 sites in the community that could potentially contain future affordable housing. These include the Baha'i Home at 401 Greenleaf, a former senior housing facility that is currently vacant, but contains 21 housing units; the former 24-unit Sunrise memory care building at 615 Ridge Road that could be repurposed for affordable use; and the one-acre Hoffman Higgins Homestead property at 204 Ridge Road. Village Manager Michael Braiman noted, 'While these locations are included in the plan, that does not guarantee they will become future affordable housing developments nor does It limit other potential uses at these locations in the future.' The plan also identifies nearly a dozen incentives Wilmette could provide for developers to create or preserve affordable housing. This includes allowing accessory dwelling units to be constructed on the properties of single-family homes, reducing or waiving impact fees for projects containing affordable housing, and offering subsidized loans or grants to owners of affordable housing if they agree to keep it affordable. 'Research should be done on programs, funding sources and best practices to preserve existing affordable units,' the plan says. Eve Williams, a member of Open Communities, a nonprofit civil rights housing commission that provides fair housing protections in Wilmette and other suburban communities, spoke before the Village Board in support of an affordable housing plan. She noted that a housing survey conducted by the village found housing needs in 'almost every demographic.' 'When more people can afford to live in Wilmette, there will be additional opportunities to earn, spend and support local businesses as customers and workers,' she said. Maureen Dulen, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Wilmette, told the board that not only are older adults finding it difficult to remain in the community they have lived in for decades, but teachers, emergency responders and restaurant employees who work in Wilmette are also challenged to secure housing they can afford. 'Affordable housing is essential for the continued vibrancy and character of this village, which we all appreciate so much,' Dulen said.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Peoria City Council approves $475,000 grant to demolish more vacant homes
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — An abandoned home demolition program in Peoria is getting nearly another half million dollars in state funding. Peoria City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the $475,000 grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA). It's the second round of funding for the Strong Communities Program. Joe Dulin, the city's community development director, said they demolished more than 90 blighted homes in the first round to make way for new affordable housing in the East Bluff and the Southside. This includes Church View Gardens, the Southside's first new housing complex in more than 20 years. Dulin said the additional funding will allow them to demolish 40 more homes. But there was debate among city councilmembers about what kind of developers they should work with. 'But I wish we would have a little bit more compassion for what really built our neighborhood and instead of how do we get the investors from Jersey to come here and make investments until their tax credits run out and the place becomes a disaster,' said At-Large City Councilman John Kelly. First District City Councilwoman Denise Jackson said rental developments should also be on the table to increase access to housing. 'You live in a community that has developed this infamous distinction as one of the poorest zip codes in the country, you have so much poverty as a result of years and years of disinvestment. And you come to the realization that folks living in this area, some of which are not in position to purchase a home,' she said. The Strong Communities Program is a state initiative that provides grant funding to local government agencies to address affordable housing needs and revitalize communities. The program is funded by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan and managed by IDHA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dixon will get portion of $154,000 state grant to address abandoned residential properties
Jun. 10—DIXON — The Dixon City Council has approved an agreement with Lee County that allows access to previously awarded grant funds to be used for rehabilitating or demolishing abandoned properties. The city and the county began working with the Illinois Housing Development Authority in 2023, with a $154,000 grant awarded through the Strong Communities Program. The state program provides funds to local governments to purchase, rehabilitate and/or demolish abandoned residential properties, Lee County Administrator Jeremy Englund said. For Dixon, the goal is for this grant project to be one small part of its overall plan to address the city's housing shortage, Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss said. In Dixon, the city has identified five properties to include in its portion of the grant, which has been earmarked at $75,000, Langloss said. The properties include 807 W. Second St., 502 W. Seventh St. and three houses in the 500 block of West First Street. ExpandAutoplay Image 1 of 3 Property at 502 W. Seventh St. in Dixon has been condemned by the city and is slated for demolition. (Alex T. Paschal) The city has already obtained ownership of the properties on West Second Street and West Seventh Street, is planning for demolition and hopes to go out for bid on them next month, Langloss said. Officials also plan on redeveloping those lots by putting out a request for housing developers, he said. As for the three houses in the 500 block of West First Street, they're currently owned by the Lee County Industrial Development Association, which will be transitioning ownership to the city, Langloss said. From a county perspective, Englund said, the goal is to provide funding to its municipalities to help them deal with — whether that's demolishing or revitalizing — abandoned properties within its city limits that are having negative effects on their communities. Besides Dixon, the county has also been working with Amboy and Franklin Grove to identify properties and allocate funds for their demolition and/or revitalization, Englund said. To facilitate the use of the grant, several steps needed to be completed, such as identifying properties, ensuring those properties qualify and obtaining ownership of the properties. Each property had to meet many eligibility factors, including that they have no historical significance, Langloss said. What the council approved at its June 2 meeting was another one of those steps, Langloss said. The agreement establishes the county as the lead agency and provides what the grant "regulations call a certificate of authority," which allows the county to "essentially utilize the city's powers for purposes of things like demolition and dealing with nuisance violations," Dixon City Attorney Rob LeSage said at the council meeting. The terms spell out how the city and county will work together, LeSage said. The city "will be identifying the properties that we want to deal with... [and] the activities that we want Lee County to conduct. We will be working together to define scope of work and the timing of the various projects," LeSage said.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois rental assistance program sees funding cut for 2026 budget in another blow to state, city housing programs
William Dalton had never faced eviction until a series of bad events struck last year: His mom died, his relationship with the mother of his now 5-year-old daughter ended and his car was totaled. He fell behind on the rent for his two-bedroom apartment in the New City neighborhood. It caused him 'anxiety every day,' he said, after receiving the eviction notice a couple of months later. He didn't know where he would go if he lost his apartment, the home where his daughter was born. 'It was a lot on me,' Dalton said, who works in education. 'It is very hard to concentrate on things you need to get done, especially when you have a little one depending on you.' In a move that has brought him 'great relief,' Dalton was able to keep the roof over his head, where he has lived for five years, thanks to $10,000 from Illinois' rental assistance program. 'Once everything was settled, it was like I could actually start living life again,' he said. 'And it is very important for my daughter to see. I tried my best to mask it, but I'm pretty sure she picked up on it.' After its inaugural year as a state-funded effort, Illinois' court-based rental assistance program for tenants like Dalton struggling to pay rent and their landlords will stop accepting applications Friday and will see a third of its funds wiped away in the 2026 fiscal year that begins July 1. The reduction comes after the state grappled with serious fiscal challenges when balancing its budget this year, issues exacerbated by a federal government focused on axing spending. State lawmakers cut spending in various areas beyond housing as well. Dalton is one of 7,129 renters who has received assistance this fiscal year from the state program. The state housing authority's goal was to assist 8,900 households through the new program but will likely see closer to 8,000 households supported, said Illinois Housing Development Authority Executive Director Kristin Faust in an interview with the Tribune. The state agency administers the rental assistance program. Faust said the 8,900 number was based on an authority projection. 'We had hoped it would take us to the very end of the fiscal year because we always want to be able to meet all the need,' Faust said. 'The need was even greater than we expected.' So far, Faust said about $58 million in aid has been distributed to tenants and landlords, with thousands more applications yet to be processed and a small portion of the funds kept for administrative fees. The state program was previously funded by federal aid distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic and focused on helping tenants experiencing COVID-19-related hardships and at risk of eviction. At its height, the program provided up to $25,000 in rental assistance to cover up to 15 months of past-due rent and up to three months of future rent. Rental assistance programs became widespread during the pandemic to aid the millions of renters who were struggling to pay their rent on time across the country after many lost their jobs and got sick. Illinois allocated $75 million in state funding to continue to provide rental assistance to tenants and their landlords for fiscal year 2025. Unlike many other states and municipalities, Illinois made a significant allocation of dollars to continue the program. For fiscal year 2026, the state has appropriated $50 million. The next iteration of the program is expected to begin accepting applications in August, Faust said. 'We think it is overall a positive sign that the state in a difficult budget climate is continuing to invest in the program,' said Bob Glaves, executive director of the Chicago Bar Foundation, which manages the state eviction diversion program. Faust agreed, calling the program 'a very positive lesson learned out of COVID.' The court-based rental assistance program is just one aspect of the state's eviction diversion program, known formally as the Early Resolution Program. Tenants and small landlords can also receive legal aid to help settle eviction cases before they go to trial. Under the state-funded rental assistance program for the 2025 fiscal year, households facing eviction can receive up to $15,000 in rental assistance, which can pay past-due rent, up to $500 in court costs and up to two months of future rent, according to the state housing authority. Next fiscal year's program will see the maximum amount of aid reduced to $10,000, with a raise to $700 for eligible court costs coverage. Faust said this decision was made based on data from this year's program and conversations with legal aid, tenants and landlords. The authority estimates about 6,500 households will be able to receive assistance. 'We are feeling that we will be able to meet the majority of needs with this new dollar amount,' Faust said, 'and then also try to keep the program going for as long as possible for the next fiscal year.' Some of the data considered was the average amount of assistance doled out so far this fiscal year, which has been around $8,260, or eight months of rent. And 39% of aided households are extremely low income, earning less than $36,000 a year for a household of four, the state said. Eligible tenants have to make 80% or less of the area median income and do not have to be facing a COVID-19-related hardship. For a household of four, the area median income for much of the last fiscal year in Chicago was $89,700, according to the Chicago Department of Housing. For the next round of assistance, the state said tenants will be ineligible if they have received aid in the last 18 months. Renters do not have to prove their citizenship status and must have an active eviction case due to nonpayment of rent to qualify. Housing providers are not allowed to evict tenants during the grant's coverage period for nonpayment of rent. And for tenants whose landlords are unwilling to participate in the program, the state offers up to two months of future rent payments to help them find a new place to live. Renters in Chicago and Cook County maintain the right to stay in their homes if they pay their debts in full to their landlord at any time before an official eviction order is filed. Illinois lawmakers pass budget with tax hikes on tobacco, gambling — but adjourn without transit, Bears stadium Cook County housing authority facing potential multimillion-dollar budget shortfall as agencies brace for funding cuts Chicago housing nonprofit providing rental subsidies for very low-income renters facing a $10M budget shortfall After lawmakers pass budget with cuts and tax hikes, Gov. JB Pritzker blames state's fiscal challenges on Trump Lawmakers send flurry of bills to governor's desk in final days of spring session As Johnson administration touts 'Cut the Tape,' affordable housing developers want faster progress While Gov. JB Pritzker scored wins during legislative session, cellphone ban, other initiatives fell short There will be less money available for those in need of rental assistance, but Chicago's rent prices are showing no signs of easing. In May, rents in Chicago increased 2% compared to .4% nationally, which was the second fastest month-over-month rent growth of the nation's largest 100 cities, according to Apartment List. The city's year-over-year rent growth stands at 5%, landing it in fourth place for fastest growth among the nation's largest 100 cities. The rental assistance program dollars are a piece of the state's roughly $263.7 million Home Illinois budget — an initiative aimed at preventing and ending homelessness — for the coming fiscal year. The Home Illinois budget saw an overall decrease in its pot of funds of approximately $26.6 million, according to state budget documents. The same documents show that the Home Illinois funds were significantly underused in the 2024 fiscal year, but the Illinois Department of Human Services said this is because it was a 'start-up' year for multiple programs. There are also separate rental assistance dollars allocated to other state programs, the state said, with $89.5 million total (including the $50 million court-based program) earmarked to support those efforts this coming fiscal year. For the 2025 fiscal year, the number spent is estimated at $130 million. The reduction in funds this coming fiscal year hit as area housing groups who rely on city, state and federal dollars are already struggling to provide subsidized housing to some of the lowest income residents in the state as they are facing multimillion dollar budget shortfalls. Gov. JB Pritzker highlighted housing affordability as a key issue in his State of the State speech in February. Still, some of the most ambitious proposals that legislators introduced on the topic didn't pass out of the General Assembly. Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois, a group advocating for an increase in affordable housing in the state, said that while he is thankful to see the state committing serious dollars to Home Illinois even in challenging budget times, the government has to find a way to increase funding for the initiative every year if it wants to accomplish the initiative's goal. 'Ending homelessness and making sure everyone has a safe and decent place to live should be one of the highest priorities, and the budget that passed doesn't reflect that,' Palmer said. Through April of this year, about 8,280 residential evictions were filed, according to the most recently available data from the Circuit Court of Cook County. Eviction filings in Cook County have been at pre-pandemic levels since 2022. Enforced evictions — those carried out by the sheriff's office under a court order — at residential rental properties caught up to 2019 levels for the first year in 2023. Most evictions in the city typically take place on the South and West sides in majority Black and Latino communities, trends that line up with national data showing racial minorities are more likely to face eviction. The pandemic disproportionately affected racial minorities, who were more likely to experience hardships such as job loss and illness. Landlords and their attorneys have said that sometimes rental assistance ends up being a Band-Aid fix, with housing providers having to evict their residents even after they have received aid. As an owner of five buildings with a total of 17 apartments, primarily in Washington Park, Gene Lee has received rental assistance for two tenants when the program was federally funded. In those cases, Lee said the renters had worked for Chicago Public Schools and their work hours were cut during the pandemic. For tenants who are communicative and experiencing short-term financial hardships such as those two CPS workers, the rental assistance program is effective, Lee said. Now, as the program faces a funding cut and rising rent costs are eating into households' budgets, Lee said housing providers like himself will be put in a tough position if there is not enough assistance available for some tenants in need. 'If those (rental assistance) resources become a little bit limited, it puts pressure on us,' said Lee, who runs TLG Development and works at LinkedIn. 'Do we make an economic decision to try to evict this tenant and find someone else, or do you try to have a heart for someone who just needs a place and falls on hard times?' To apply for the Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program, go to Tribune reporter Olivia Olander contributed. ekane@
