ILLINOIS — The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced it is reopening a mortgage assistance program designed to assist homeowners financially impacted by the pandemic on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) provides up to $30,000 in mortgage assistance to eligible homeowners — paid directly to the servicer, taxing body or other approved entity — while homeowners work to regain their financial footing. Whether homeowners have a mortgage, a reverse mortgage, or are mortgage-free, the program can fund past due housing payments and up to three months of prospective mortgage payments.
The program is free and funds do not need to be repaid. Application, program information and updates can be found at illinoishousinghelp.org. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.
“No Illinoisan should have to choose between paying their mortgage and putting food on the table,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “That’s why we established the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund to provide some much-needed relief to our residents who struggled throughout the pandemic. Today, I am proud to announce that we are reopening that very program so that no Illinois family goes without a roof over their heads. I encourage every eligible household to apply for ILHAF funding starting November 1, and I thank the entire Illinois Housing Development Authority team for their leadership.”
“Having a roof over your head is one of the pillars of feeling safe and having a positive quality of life. The lingering economic impact of the pandemic is still being felt, especially when it comes to housing. That is why Illinois is so committed to helping residents stay in their homes,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “This program does just that, and it will continue to be a resource because people who need housing assistance deserve to be seen and supported. Illinois sees them, and we will keep working to ensure no one has to experience the fear and stress of losing their home.”
To qualify for ILHAF assistance, Illinois homeowners must have experienced a financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic after Jan. 21, 2020 (including a hardship that began before Jan. 21, 2020, but continued after that date). They also must currently own and occupy their home in Illinois as their primary residence, be at least 30 days late on their monthly housing payments and have a household income at or below 150% of the area median income.
“The state of Illinois is committed to ensuring that homeowners who are struggling due to this terrible pandemic can stay in their home,” said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. “We designed the ILHAF program to ensure the most vulnerable households are prioritized in order to stave off foreclosure to ensure they are given the opportunity to become current on their monthly housing expenses.”
Potential applicants must demonstrate they have either communicated with their mortgage provider about their inability to pay, or sought counseling with a HUD-approved counseling organization. Interested homeowners are strongly encouraged to attend an information session hosted by IHDA or one of our housing partners. The session schedule is posted online at illinoishousinghelp.org, for those without access to a computer or the internet, please contact the ILHAF hotline at 1-866-IL-HELP (866-454-3571).
Homeowners who received assistance in the previous round of ILHAF can apply for additional assistance this round. Please note, however, the maximum assistance that can be provided in total to applicants across both rounds is $30,000.
ILHAF is funded through an appropriation in the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2), which was signed into law in March 2021. The $1.9 trillion economic stimulus relief designed to speed up recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic included $9.96 billion allocated for state territories, tribes and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. The state of Illinois was allocated $386.9 million which was appropriated to IHDA by the Illinois General Assembly (P.A. 102-0017).
For more information and updates on the program, visit illinoishousinghelp.org.