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Housing and Energy

HOUSING AND ENERGY
  • The Trump administration issued an order Tuesday banning landlords from evicting tenants from rental properties they can no long afford to rent due to income lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • The order, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), would make it illegal to evict any individual that expects to make less than $99,000 or a joint-filing couple that expects to make less than $198,000 in 2020. The tenants would still be required to pay rent owed per the terms of the lease, but will be allowed to stay in their unit through the end of the year.
  • Pritzker Administration Extends Deadline to Apply for Emergency Rental Assistance

Applications for Rental Assistance now Available until August 28th at era.ihda.org

CHICAGO – Today, Governor Pritzker announced the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has extended the deadline for Illinois renters to apply for aid by one week to 12:00 p.m. on August 28th due to those impacted by the storms last Monday. In addition, landlords will be given an additional two days, through August 30th, to complete their portion of the application. The Emergency Rental Assistance program provides $5,000 to eligible tenants who have seen their household income decline as a result of the COVID-19.

"With over 750,000 Illinoisans losing power as a result of the strong derecho that swept across northern Illinois a week ago, it's important we provide additional time to file and complete application for assistance," said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. "I am pleased to extend the deadline as there were many renters and landlords without power for nearly a week, which negatively impacted their ability to apply to the Emergency Rental Assistance program."

For an application for to be considered complete, landlords are required to submit additional documentation before their application period closes on August 30th. It is recommended that renters be proactive in notifying their landlords they have applied for assistance under the Emergency Rental Assistance program and that they will receive an email from the IHDA inviting them to submit required documentation.

Renters affected by the storms, or those requiring assistance navigating the application process, are encouraged to reach out to one of the 62 Community and Outreach Assistance organizations with which IHDA has partnered. These organizations can be found on the ‘resources' page at era.ihda.org. For additional help, applicants may also contact IHDA's call center at: (312) 883-2720, or toll-free at: (888) 252-1119. For those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, please contact Navicore Solutions for free assistance at: (877) 274-4309 (TTY).

Extension of the ERA program will not affect or delay the launch of the Emergency Mortgage Assistance program on August 24, 2020.

HOMEOWNER & RENTERS PROTECTIONS

• Eviction Protections: Renters residing in public or assisted housing, or in a home or apartment whose owner has a federally-backed mortgage, and who are unable to pay their rent, are protected from eviction for 4 months. Property owners are also prohibited from issuing a 30-day notice to a tenant to vacate a property until after the 4-month moratorium ends. This protection covers properties that receive federal subsidies such as public housing, Section 8 assistance, USDA rural housing programs, and federally-issued or guaranteed mortgages. Renters whose landlord is not abiding by the moratorium should contact the relevant federal agency that administers their housing program or their local Legal Aid office.

There are hardship programs in place to help homeowners who have been directly or indirectly affected by the coronavirus and are struggling to make their mortgage payments. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, encourages homeowners adversely impacted by the coronavirus who are having difficulty paying their mortgages to reach out to their mortgage servicers as soon as possible. As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises, "you can find the number for your mortgage servicer on your monthly mortgage statement or coupon book."

FHFA has established a dedicated webpage with relevant updates and resources available here: www.fhfa.gov/coronavirus

Additionally, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have their own dedicated webpages for homeowners, with online tools for determining if your mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac:

Fannie Mae: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Help

Freddie Mac: Extending Help to Homeowners Impacted by COVID-19

ENERGY ASSISTANCE FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES

• This legislative package includes $900 million to help low income Americans and their families heat and cool their homes. To learn more about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and other services click HERE

  • Click HERE for information about bill payment assistance from ComED

Eviction Freeze

Illinois

Governor J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order pausing enforcement of residential evictions until April 8. The 10th Judicial Circuit has postponed all eviction court cases until April 17 in Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark counties. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved the state's eligibility for disaster assistance loans for small businesses.

Chicago

In a press conference on March 19, Mayor Lori Lightfoot asked all property owners to "give tenants some grace" during this period. Eviction cases are handled in the Circuit Court of Cook County, which has paused eviction cases until April 15th.