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 Through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program,
IHDA will allocate $150 million to help income-eligible residents
across the state pay their rent during this national emergency.
Following the application period for rental assistance, IHDA will
open applications for Emergency Mortgage Assistance, providing $150
million to homeowners impacted by COVID-19. Taken together, these
programs are the largest emergency housing assistance programs in
the nation and will help approximately 40,000 households before the
end of 2020.
“We are in a moment that requires a historic effort to mitigate this
virus’s devastating effects on the health and livelihoods of the
residents of this state – one that centers on rebounding with a
stronger, more inclusive economy on the other side,” said Governor
JB Pritzker. “Keeping people in their homes isn’t just a moral
obligation, it’s an economic one, and I’m incredibly proud that even
in tough financial times for the state, we used our federal
resources to build the largest pandemic housing stability program of
any state in the nation.”
“As COVID-19 continues to impact our state, it is more important
than ever that vulnerable households have the resources and support
they need to stay in their homes,” said IHDA Executive Director
Kristin Faust. “I thank Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General
Assembly for making this funding possible, and I encourage those who
have lost a job or seen their income decline as a result of COVID-19
visit our application portals to apply.”
Emergency Rental Assistance Program
With applications now available, the Emergency Rental Assistance
Program (ERA) will support Illinois tenants unable to pay their rent
due to a COVID-19-related loss of income. Tenants whose applications
are approved will receive one-time grants of $5,000 paid directly to
their landlords to cover missed rent payments beginning March 2020
and prepay payments through December 2020, or until the $5,000 is
exhausted, whichever comes first. The assistance will be in the form
of a grant and repayment will not be required. Applications for ERA
will be accepted August 10th through August 21st. Due to anticipated
high volume, the application window may close early. IHDA will use a
third-party entity to select a pool of applications to be reviewed
for eligibility. Approximately 30,000 tenants are expected to
receive funding. Apply online at: era.ihda.org.
Tenant Eligibility:
Household income before March 1, 2020 was at or below 80 percent of
the Area Median Income; An adult member of
the household must have had a loss of income due to the COVID-19
crisis on or after March 1, 2020; and
Household has an unpaid rent balance that began on or after March 1,
2020.
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Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program
Available August 24, 2020, the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program
(EMA) will assist homeowners who have experienced a COVID-19-related
loss of income resulting in past due mortgage balances starting
March 2020. Approved applicants will receive up to $15,000 paid
directly to their mortgage servicer. Assistance will cover the
homeowner’s past due or forbearance balance and their regular
mortgage payments through December 30, 2020, or until the funding is
exhausted, whichever comes first. Payments may include all escrowed
first mortgage expenses including property taxes, insurance and
certain fees. The assistance will be in the form of a grant and
repayment will not be required. Applications for EMA will be
accepted from August 24th through September 4th. Due to anticipated
high volume, the application window may close early. IHDA will use a
third-party entity to select a pool of applications to be reviewed
for eligibility. The program is expected to assist approximately
10,000 households. Apply online at: ema.ihda.org.
Homeowner Eligibility:
Household adjusted gross income from 2019 Tax Return was at or below
120 percent of the Area Median Income;
An adult member of the household has had a loss of income due to the
COVID-19 crisis on or after March 1, 2020;
Homeowner’s mortgage was current as of February 29, 2020;
The mortgage is past due or in forbearance.
Financial assistance from both programs is funded through Illinois’
allocation of federal Coronavirus Relief Funds from the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136).
Passed in March 2020, the CARES Act provided $3.5 billion in
Coronavirus Relief Funds to the State of Illinois to help residents
and businesses impacted by the pandemic. In May, the Illinois
General Assembly directed a portion of this funding to IHDA to
provide direct assistance to struggling renters and homeowners. The
funding must be completely distributed by December 30, 2020.
[Text from file received from
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