CHICAGO – Tuesday, Governor Pritzker announced the Illinois Housing Development Authority  has extended the deadline for Illinois renters to apply for aid by one week to 12 p.m. on Aug. 28 due to those impacted by the storms last Monday. In addition, landlords will be given an additional two days, through Aug. 30, to complete their portion of the application.
The Emergency Rental Assistance program provides $5,000 to eligible tenants who have seen their household income decline as a result of the COVID-19.
“With over 750,000 Illinoisans losing power as a result of the strong derecho that swept across northern Illinois a week ago, it’s important we provide additional time to file and complete application for assistance,” said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. “I am pleased to extend the deadline as there were many renters and landlords without power for nearly a week, which negatively impacted their ability to apply to the Emergency Rental Assistance program.”

For an application for to be considered complete, landlords are required to submit additional documentation before their application period closes on August 30th. It is recommended that renters be proactive in notifying their landlords they have applied for assistance under the Emergency Rental Assistance program and that they will receive an email from the IHDA inviting them to submit required documentation.
Renters affected by the storms, or those requiring assistance navigating the application process, are encouraged to reach out to one of the 62 Community and Outreach Assistance organizations with which IHDA has partnered. These organizations can be found on the ‘resources’ page at era.ihda.org. For additional help, applicants may also contact IHDA’s call center at: (312) 883-2720, or toll-free at: (888) 252-1119. For those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, please contact Navicore Solutions for free assistance at: (877) 274-4309 (TTY).
Extension of the ERA program will not affect or delay the launch of the Emergency Mortgage Assistance program on Aug. 24.