The Illinois Housing Development Authority’s rental assistance program helps keep families in stable housing, makes sure renters and landlords remain financially secure, and works to prevent a flood of evictions due to the COVID pandemic.

If you’re a renter living in Illinois and have fallen behind on your rent because of the pandemic you may be eligible for a maximum of 15 months of past due rent payments dating back to June 2020. You don’t have to be a U.S. citizen to apply. The assistance is a grant, not a loan. It requires no repayment.

How to Qualify


Who is eligible?
1. You must be a renter or a landlord.
2. Your household (or your renter’s household) must have experienced financial hardship related to COVID-19. Examples: unemployment, reduced work hours, inability to find employment, loss of child or spousal support, school closures have required one or more parent to stay home.
3. Your household (or your renter’s household) owes past due rent and is at risk of becoming homeless or is experiencing housing instability.
4. Your household income does not exceed 80% of the area median. Check this table to see if your income qualifies.

How do I apply?
The Illinois Rental Payment Program is not accepting applications at this time. To get more information about future applications, click here.

Rental assistance is still available through the Illinois Department of Human Services. You can find a service provider here.

To apply, you will need the following documents:

  • Government issued photo identification (driver’s license, passport, local city identification such as a Chicago CityKey, or Matricula Consular identification card)

  • Proof of 2020 household income

  • Monthly rent and past due amount

  • Valid e-mail address

  • Proof of public assistance (if any)

  • Copy of lease or rental agreement

FAQ


Renters
How do I apply if I don’t have access to the internet?
Contact the IDHS call center at 800-ILHELP1 (800-454-3571).

What happens if I don’t have a Social Security number or a Taxpayer ID number?
Tenants won’t be asked for Social Security or TIN numbers.

What happens if you can’t produce proof of income?
You must fill out the attestation form and sign. This will serve as proof of income.

Am I eligible if I don’t have a lease?
If you don’t have a lease, you will have to get the landlord to provide an affidavit.

Can I apply if my landlord doesn’t want to participate?
You may still be able to apply. Contact a service provider near you.

Landlords
Is there a limit to the amount of applications landlords can submit?
No. Landlords can apply for as many renters as they think are eligible. There must be a separate application for each renter.

Do landlords have to pay taxes on the assistance money?
Yes. The assistance is considered gross income.

What happens if the renter won’t participate in the program?
Renters must fill out their part of the application before it can be processed. If they don’t, the application will be considered ineligible.