CARTERVILLE (WSIL) -- The Coronavirus Relief package passed by Congress just before Christmas includes another round of funding for Rental Assistance programs, with opportunities for residents in ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois.
Illinois's Housing Development Authority says once funds are available, they will push the money out, as quickly as allowed.
Rodrigo Carrillo, IHDA’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and Planning explains the last time they were directly involved in mortgage and rental assistance was after the financial crash in 2008, where efforts prevented "thousands of foreclosures."
"The state of Illinois and IHDA, we undertook the largest emergency rental assistance program in the Nation," Carrillo says of the response to the pandemic.
Carrillo says the program provided funding for more than 45,000 applications throughout the state, adding, "Pretty much every application that has been deemed eligible for approval, was funded."
That program is now closed, but the recently approved Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is set to provide $25 billion in new funding for rental assistance across the nation.
Illinois is still waiting to learn their share.
"We at IHDA are anticipating funding to come through, we're in preparation mode at the moment to see what the design of what another round would look like," says Carrillo. "I think an announcement should be happening in the next couple weeks, we're still looking at what the legislation says regarding the $25 billion allocation."
The funding cannot come soon enough for many renters who are out of work, and out of money, due to covid-19 says a southern Illinois' landlord with three properties. and wished to remain anonymous
He says it has been struggle to understand what the application was missing after receiving what appeared to be a confirmation email implying his submission was complete. He applied for rental assistance on the behalf of a tenant who is now out of work due to the pandemic, but it was ultimately denied.
"I will let my tenant stay where they're at," says the property owner. "But, it just doesn't seem fair; I got a phone call from one and she was emotional, I just assured her everything is going to be okay no matter what happens."
The Illinois's rental assistance program received nearly 80,000 applications and is on track to disperse up to $300 million in funding once completed. They are still in the process of dispersing rental assistance checks from the first round of funding, which they say should be completed before the end of the month.
