At the end of May, Governor Pritzker signed a bill that expands rental assistance for Illinois households. The new law creates a $1.5 Billion rental relief program to aid families and individuals with unpaid rental debt from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pritzker’s eviction moratorium went into effect in March of 2020 and has prevented mass evictions from unpaid rent due to unforeseen hardship from the pandemic. While this executive action paused eviction proceedings, it did not relieve families and individuals from accruing housing debts and unpaid rent over the course of the year.
It is estimated that as many at 60,000 Illinois residents could face an eviction when the moratorium lifts, which is currently scheduled to expire June 26th, 2021. Pritzker signaled he will begin to phase out the moratorium with the goal of fully lifting all eviction restrictions in August but has yet to provide details.
The Illinois Rental Payment Program, an emergency rental assistance program, is being established to prevent the unprecedented wave of eviction. The expansion of this program is expected to aid 120,000 Illinois households and prevent a housing and eviction crisis. The program also requires the sealing of all eviction records between March 2020 and March 2022 upon filing, with limited exceptions. A prior eviction record can be a barrier to securing housing in the future, sometimes referred to in the housing market as a “scarlet E.” The sealing of eviction records provides a clean slate to renters who fell behind on rent during the pandemic.
Illinois residents can apply for up to $25,000 of rent relief which, once approved, will be sent directly to the landlord. Funding for the program, which will be administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, was provided by the federal government. An application period for tenants applying directly for rental assistance will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 28th. Tenants have until midnight on Sunday, July 18th to complete their applications.
If you would like more information on the Illinois Rental Payment Program, please contact the attorneys at Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC.