A new Illinois rental assistance program for tenants and landlords with a pending eviction case has started taking applications and those who are eligible could receive thousands of dollars to help cover past-due rent or prevent an eviction.
The state-funded, court-based rental assistance program started Sept. 20. Tenants and landlords can apply for up to $15,000 in emergency rental payments, which can be applied to past-due rent dating back to March 2020. The funds can also pay up to $500 for court costs and up to two months of future rent payments to prevent an eviction.
The program launched in October 2022 to help those who were struggling to pay rent on time during the pandemic. It was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, passed in 2021, but after funds were nearly depleted, the Illinois Housing Development Authority paused applications in May.
But the IHDA recently received $75 million in state funding to continue the program.
Kristin Faust, executive director of IHDA, said the restarted program will likely serve 45,000 households before funds run out. In the past two years, the program has helped households overcome temporary emergencies that prevented them from keeping up with monthly rent payments. It also helped tenants avoid an eviction while looking for future housing.
“Once you have that eviction, it just makes it that much harder to find another good place to live,” Faust said.
“It’s helped resolve a lot of situations where the landlord might have been without rent, and then the tenant might have been evicted,” she said. “And instead, you have a win-win situation where the landlord gets their rent, and the tenant gets to stay there.”
Here is what you need to know about the Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program and how to apply.
Who qualifies for assistance
Any Illinois tenant can apply for the rental assistance program if they have a pending eviction due to nonpayment. Tenants must be currently in a court eviction proceeding and be able to provide their eviction court documentation to apply for assistance.
The program is open to tenants regardless of immigration status, and a social security number is not required to apply.
Tenants’ total gross income cannot exceed 80% of the area median income for their location. In the Chicago metro area, that’s $89,700 for a household of four, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
How to apply
The application is available online at illinoishousinghelp.org/cbrap.
First, a tenant and their landlord will need to complete an eligibility questionnaire. Once they’ve been deemed eligible, they can finish their sections separately, which will be linked together after submission. Either party can start their application first, but an application is not considered complete until both parties have submitted their sections.
Landlords who own and live in a multi-unit property can complete a joint application if their tenant rents their own unit. Out-of-state landlords are also able to apply if their tenant is an Illinois resident and rents the unit as their primary residence, according to the IHDA.
Last year, the number one reason for denials was missing documents, according to IHDA, so staying responsive if IHDA requests more information is key.
Melissa Wemstrom, director of operations at the legal aid nonprofit CARPLS, said tenants should make sure they submit the correct documentation at the beginning and provide accurate contact information for their landlord. If not, it might slow down the application process and potentially delay any funds they might receive.
“The application process is a race against time because you need to get your application approved, and you need to get those funds available for your landlord before you are evicted,” she said. “There are some landlords that we’ve worked with that have been patient, but there’s a lot of landlords that will go forward with the eviction even though there is a rental assistance application pending.”
What to keep in mind while applying
Justin Abdilla, a real estate lawyer based in Lisle, said landlords and tenants should remember that assistance is not guaranteed and be prepared for any potential bad outcomes.
“Last May, when the assistance money was drying up, landlords who kept thinking that the tenant was going to get that [rental assistance] money kept bad contracts on their books so they were losing money,” he said.
Abdilla said the impact can be the same for tenants, who can see their past-due rent balance rise as they wait for assistance.
“Everybody needs to stay on top of it because the assistance isn’t guaranteed,” he said. “What I tell my clients is the number one factor in determining how painful an eviction will be is whether the tenant has somewhere to go. When people have nowhere to go, they can’t really leave.”
Applicants should use an email account they check regularly to monitor progress and respond to any requests for further documentation.
Tenants and landlords having trouble with the application can contact the state housing authority’s call center at 866-IL-HELP1 (866-454-3571) to connect with a Court-Based Rental Assistance Program agent. The call center has English-, Spanish- and Polish-speaking staff. If a tenant requires help in a language other than those three, they can email CBRAP.info@ihda.org, and must include their contact information, the language they need assistance in and their availability between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Documents needed to apply
If you’re a tenant, you’ll need these documents:
A government-issued photo IDProof of address dated within 60 daysProof of household incomeEvidence of past-due rentEviction court complaint, summons and court case numberCurrent signed lease, if availableProof of public assistance, if applicable
If you’re a landlord or housing provider, you’ll need these documents:
Proof of ownershipProof of unpaid rent — ledger is requiredCurrent signed lease, if availableA government-issued photo ID, certificate of good standing or articles of incorporationFully executed and current property management agreement, if applicableEviction court complaint, summons and court case number
A full list of acceptable documents can be found on the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s website.
When your landlord doesn’t submit their portion of the application
If the landlord does not submit their portion of the application within 21 days, they will be considered unresponsive.
The tenant’s application will go through a separate review process. They may still be eligible for two months of future rent payments through tenant direct payment if they meet all eligibility criteria and plan on moving out of the unit. The tenant will be contacted by IHDA for further instructions.
When you’ll hear back about your application
The state housing authority said it intends to notify applicants within 30 to 45 days, after reviewing the application. Applicants can also check the status of their application by signing into their account on the IHDA’s online portal.
If approved, landlords should expect to receive a check for rent payments within 10 to 14 days, although it can take longer.
Legal help for an eviction proceeding
Eviction Help Illinois is a state-funded network of legal aid and mediation service providers that can connect tenants and landlords to rental assistance, legal information and mediation services where available. Legal aid attorneys are available to advise and represent tenants should eviction proceedings move forward.