A state of Illinois program that offered homeowners up to $30,000 in mortgage relief will be reopened next month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration announced Wednesday.
The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund, which had been opened during the COVID pandemic, will open back up to applications on Nov. 1, officials with the Illinois Housing Development Authority announced.
Payments are made directly to lenders, loan servicers, and other entities, according to a press release.
The funds are given in the form of grants, and will not need to be repaid by homeowners.
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“No Illinoisan should have to choose between paying their mortgage and putting food on the table,” Pritzker said in a statement. “That’s why we established the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund to provide some much-needed relief to our residents who struggled throughout the pandemic.”
Funds dispersed through the program can be used to pay off past-due housing payments and up to three months of prospective mortgage payments, according to officials.
In order to qualify for ILHAF assistance, state officials provided a list of criteria:
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-Homeowners must have experienced a financial hardship due to the COVID pandemic after Jan. 21, 2020. That hardship is permitted to have started prior to that date, but it must have continued after that date.
-Homeowners must currently own and occupy their home as their primary residence.
-Homeowners must be at least 30 days late on their monthly housing payments.
-Homeowners must have a household income at or below 150% of their area’s median income.
-Applicants must demonstrate that they have communicated with their mortgage provider about their inability to pay, or have sought counseling with a Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved counseling organization.
State officials say that those who have previously received assistance through the program can still be eligible to apply, but cautioned that there is a maximum assistance level of $30,000 through both rounds of the program.
Applications for the program will open on Nov. 1, and will remain open through Jan. 31, 2023, according to Pritzker’s office.
Potential applicants are urged to attend an informational session hosted by IDHA, with events posted online at IllinoisHousingHelp.org.
That link can also be used to apply for the program, and to gather more information.
Residents can also call 1-866-IL-HELP.
According to Pritzker’s office, the program is funded through an appropriation in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which Illinois officials used to allocate $386.9 million to homeowners.
