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The Pritzker administration announced the totals with the closure of
the second round of the Illinois Rental Payment Program Monday. The
program paid up to $25,000 in rental assistance to cover up to 15
months of past due rent paid directly to the landlord.
Of more than 64,000 applications, about 27,000 were approved for the
second round of the program. The average level of assistance was
nearly $7,500. For applicants who did not have a responding
landlord, about 3,100 were approved for direct payments for a total
of $25 million, an increase of $15 million from the first round of
the program for tenants without a responding landlord.
The program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic after the
governor ordered most businesses to suspend in-person operations,
spiking unemployment filings as people were laid off.
“These financial burdens forced many Illinois households to
prioritize their spending to survive, leaving many unable to pay
their full monthly housing costs,” Gov. J.B. Pritkzer’s office said
Monday. “Therefore, it was critical to expeditiously develop and
implement a strategy to ensure every Illinoisan had the resources
necessary to stay safely housed.”
Funds for the assistance program came from the federal American
Rescue Plan Act. Any remaining funds will be put into the
Court-Based Rental Assistance Program.
Renters facing immediate eviction can apply for funds through the
Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program online at
IllinoisHousingHelp.org/CBRAP.
Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and
other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of
award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning
Newsfeed out of Springfield.
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