Illinois homeowners could receive up to $30K in mortgage relief

CHICAGO - The state's Housing Development Authority is reopening a mortgage assistance program for homeowners impacted by the pandemic. 

The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) will launch on Tuesday, Nov. 1 and will provide 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."

To qualify for 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). 

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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 show 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. For those without access to a computer or the internet, 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. 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, which was signed into law in March 2021. The $1.9 trillion economic stimulus relief was designed to speed up recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The state of Illinois was allocated $386.9 million which was appropriated to IHDA by the Illinois General Assembly.