The eviction moratorium of Illinois has come to a completion in early October. As a result, renters’ protection for those who affirmed they were affected by COVID-19 has concluded. This means the prohibition on eviction trials now expired for this group of people.
In August, landlord eviction filings were permitted to continue but were not entirely administered like they are now. Although the moratorium of eviction has come to an end, there is still a large number of dollars ready to help landlords and tenants, according to WBEZ Chicago, on October 4, 2021.
What Help Is Out There?
Governor JB Pritzker stated just last week that over four hundred forty-three million dollars of five hundred million dollars in emergency rental assistance had been paid to counties with households in need. Illinois is declared “one of the highest providers of rental assistance in the country, according to the U.S. Treasury Department,” according to WBEZ Chicago.
In addition, there is still an additional five hundred million dollars slated to open up later in the year. The process of having access to this help involves tenants and landlords applying together to get up to $25,000 to cover the time frame of twelve months of back rent and up to three months of rent in the future.
The Legal Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, Michelle Gilbert, leads an eviction prevention project. She stated how she encourages people to go to court and asserts there will be someone available to talk and assist them quickly. In addition, she notes there are resources out there now available that have not been before.
The Illinois Housing Development Authority Executive Director, Kristin Faust, stated how “landlords don’t want to evict. It’s a big hassle.” In addition, she says they would prefer to have a paying tenant than evict because eviction and turnover units cost money.
The Illinois Housing Development Authority collaborates with legal aid and community groups over the state to spread the word about the housing assistance people can receive.
By Ke’Lena Thomas
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
WBEZ Chicago: The pandemic eviction moratorium is over in Illinois, but there is still help available; by Natalie Moore
Featured Image Courtesy of Michael Rehfeldt’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Not So Dusty’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
