The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) will no longer accept applications beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

ILHAF supports qualified homeowners with grants of up to $60,000 for past-due mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance and homeowner and/or condo association fees. Any application submitted prior to closing will be reviewed to determine eligibility and a submitted application is not a guarantee of approval. Eligible Illinois homeowners can apply online at illinoishousinghelp.org.

“Any homeowner struggling to make their monthly payments due to lingering fallout from the pandemic should not hesitate and reach out today to see if you are eligible for this free assistance,” said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. “There is no guarantee of additional funding from Congress, so do not miss out on this opportunity and visit www.illinoishousinghelp.org today to see if IHDA or any other state of Illinois resources can help.”

Originally launched in April 2022, ILHAF has provided more than $246 million to help 13,730 Illinois homeowners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes while they regained their financial footing. The average grant amount is $17,988 per household and more than 69 percent of ILHAF funds have gone to socially disadvantaged areas throughout Illinois.

ILHAF was created by the state of Illinois to help homeowners avoid mortgage default and foreclosure after experiencing a financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments are made directly to the mortgage servicer, taxing body or other eligible entity once a homeowner’s application has been approved. To qualify for ILHAF, Illinois homeowners must meet the following criteria:

• Be past due on one or more of mortgage loan, property tax, property insurance and/or HOA/condo association fee payments.
• Have a household income at or below 150 percent Area Median Income.
• Own and occupy a home in Illinois as a primary residence.
• Experienced a financial hardship after Jan. 21, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic (including a hardship that began before Jan. 21, 2020 but continued after that date).
• Proof of citizenship is not required to apply and receive ILHAF assistance. ILHAF assistance is not public charge benefit.

IHDA has partnered with housing counseling agencies and community-based organizations across the state to assist households with assembling the required documents and completing their applications. This assistance is free and available in more than 37 languages, including American Sign Language. A list of these agencies offering assistance can be found online at www.illinoishousinghelp.org or by calling 866-454-3571. The Embarras River Basin Agency will assist clients in Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Jasper, Lawrence and Richland counties. Call the agency at 217-331-7031.

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)