2021 Illinois Rental Payment Program Overview
Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, many Illinois households have been directly or indirectly affected by the economic fallout leading many to struggle to pay their monthly rent. Illinois stands proud as a model of government helping its people as it has been a national leader in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing some of the largest rental assistance programs in the country. Since 2020, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has delivered $815 million in emergency rental assistance to nearly 110,100 renter households, giving impacted residents the time and support they needed to overcome financial pressures they were experiencing dues to COVID-19 pandemic. Employment rates were improving at the start of 2021 as the state continued to make progress under the Restore Illinois reopening plan1. However, they remained above pre-pandemic levels in the new year, and thousands of Illinois households still reported not being caught up on their rent payments2. More support was needed to help families stay in their homes as the state and economy continued to recover from the pandemic.
The purpose of this report is to describe IHDA’s administration of the Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP) utilizing funds provided by the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (P.L. 116-260) and American Rescue Act of 2021. Launched in May 2021, ILRPP provided a lifeline for renters and landlords who continued to experience financial hardships related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Supported by more than $584 million in federal funding, ILRPP was one of the first statewide programs in the country to fully disburse 100 percent of available funds. This funding assisted 63,964 low-and extremely low-income Illinois renters to stay safe at home and avoid eviction during the pandemic.
2021 Illinois Rental Payment Program Fact Book
Throughout ILRPP, IHDA approved 63,964 applications providing more than $584 million in vital emergency rental assistance to vulnerable very low-income renters experiencing financial pandemic-related hardships.
Since 2020, IHDA has provided over $815 million in emergency rental assistance to help keep nearly 110,100 Illinois residents safely housed.
IHDA is not done yet, with additional emergency rental assistance funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and a $200 million request for reallocated funds from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, more help for Illinois renters is currently or will be available in the future.
Future announcements and program updates will be posted online at illinoishousinghelp.org
To learn more about the program, please download the full 2021 Illinois Rental Payment Program Fact Book.
2021 Illinois Rental Payment Program Testimonials
2021 was a challenging year for many Illinois residents. The Illinois Rental Payment Program provided financial assistance for rent to income-eligible Illinois renters and their landlords who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The rental assistance provided helped thousands of renters across the state including residents highlighted in the testimonials below.
1 Illinois Department of Employment Security: Illinois & Chicago Metropolitan Area Unemployment Rates, Seasonally Adjusted Monthly Data
2 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Tracking the COVID-19 Economy’s Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships
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