Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced that with the closure of the Illinois Rental Payment Program Round 2 (ILRPP2), nearly $1.02 billion in emergency rental assistance provided by Congress to the state of Illinois has been distributed to 137,372 households since 2020. Assistance for those facing immediate eviction is still available through the Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program (CBRAP). Program information can be found at www.illinoishousinghelp.org/cbrap. Building on the 2020 Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the Illinois Rental Payment Program Round 1 (ILRPP1), IHDA continued to develop and implement key changes to make ILRPP2 more accessible, efficient, and impactful. The ILRPP2 program provided up to $25,000 in emergency rental assistance to cover up to 15 months of past due rent and up to three months of future rent payments for tenants suffering a financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant payments were made directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant if the landlord agreed to forgo eviction. IHDA received 64,442 ILRPP2 applications from renters and landlords in 97 of Illinois’ 102 counties. After reviewing every application to ensure they meet state and federal requirements, IHDA approved 27,279 applications and paid out $204 million on behalf of renters experiencing pandemic-related hardships. For program information, please visit www.illinoishousinghelp.org/cbrap. Cook County residents, including city of Chicago residents, can receive court-based rental assistance by calling the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt hotline at 855-956-5763 or by visiting www.CookCountyLegalAid.org.