State Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, D-Chicago, is proud to announce the creation of a fund to provide emergency rental and mortgage assistance grants to tenants and homeowners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The General Assembly appropriated $396 million for this fund during the emergency legislative session. The funding will primarily be used to provide assistance to tenants unable to cover their rent or homeowners unable to make mortgage payments.
“The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant hardship to people living paycheck to paycheck and at risk of homelessness. This fund will provide relief for tenants and homeowners who are most in need and unable to pay their mortgages or rent,” Ramirez said. “With record unemployment rates and an uncertain end to the pandemic, an increasing number of Illinoisans, particularly in communities of color, will face eviction. The funding in this budget will help tens of thousands of families prevent eviction or foreclosure.
“While I am disappointed that the legislature did not approve my comprehensive emergency housing relief legislation, HB 5574 and SB 3066, which would have increased protections for tenants, extended the moratorium on evictions, and increased forbearance options for homeowners, I am happy we took action to provide this necessary relief fund. I look forward to working with the Illinois Housing Development Authority and Governor Pritzker’s administration to urgently develop a program to make these funds accessible to those most in need. I urge the Governor to sign this budget into law immediately and to extend his eviction moratorium executive order until the program is running so that tenants can access relief before facing eviction.
“This is a critical step in the fight to stabilize housing for our communities, but we still have more work to do,” Ramirez said. “I’m committed to building a future where no family has to worry about losing their home and where renters and homeowners have the protections they need, especially during a pandemic”
