Peoria Standard

State Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) is reminding her constituents that rental assistance through the Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP) is available.

The program, overseen by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, offers financial assistant for rent for eligible Illinois renters and landlords who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Illinois Housing Development Authority is now accepting applications for rental assistance through the Illinois Rental Payment Program,” Turner said in a Facebook post. 

The program also can serve as a lifeline, according to the Illinois Department of Housing Services, ensuring that stable housing can be maintained. 

“Both renters and landlords could qualify for up to $25,000 in assistance,” Turner noted on Facebook. 

According to the IDHS website, the focus of the program is to ensure that families can maintain their housing while also making sure that landlords are also financially able to allow people to remain in their homes and also prevent a tidal wave of evictions amid the pandemic.   

“If you are a renter whose primary residence is in Illinois and are behind on rent due to economic hardship caused by COVID-19, you may be eligible for up to 15 months of rental payments to cover back-rent owed from June 2020 through August 2021,” the IDHS posted on its website. 

The eligibility check includes four requirements. According to the IDHS, in Illinois, you must be either a renter or a housing provider/landlord; the household in question must have experienced financial hardship, either directly or indirectly, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the household in question is behind in rent and could be facing homelessness. 

The renter’s household income must fall at or below limits outlined on an IDHS table available on its website. 

According to the IDHS, ILRPP financial assistance is a grant that does not have to be repaid.  However, the Illinois Housing Development Authority pointed out on its website that households are limited to no more than 18 months of total rental assistance.