Housing & Utilities

Evictions:

City of Chicago:

The City of Chicago has mandated a moratorium on evictions due to coronavirus closures and loss of income. They are also temporarily suspending debt collection, ticketing, and towing practices to provide debt relief in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

State of Illinois:

Governor Pritzker took further steps to protect renters in Illinois by prohibiting anyone from beginning eviction processes while the disaster proclamations are in effect. Previously, Cook County prohibited the processing of evictions that were filed. This new order by the Governor means that no one can file an eviction against you unless you are in violation of building codes or laws. You still must pay rent if you are able and this does not supersede your lease, but it doesn’t prevent your landlord or management company from putting an eviction filing on your record while you work to make arrangements with them for payment.

A full copy of the Executive Order is available here.

Federal:

The CARES Act provides a temporary moratorium on evictions for most residents of federally subsidized apartments, including those supported by HUD, USDA or Treasury (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit developments) as well a moratorium on filings for evictions for renters in homes covered by federally-backed (FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac) mortgages for 120 days after enactment.

The National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has created a searchable database and map that allows some renters to identify if their home is covered by the CARES Act eviction moratoriums. These tools contain data on millions of apartments in multifamily housing insured by the Federal Housing Administration or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and millions more supported by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, HUD, and/or USDA programs. The database and map are not comprehensive; they do not include data on single-family rental homes of one to four units that are also protected under the CARES Act, and they do not include all Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac multifamily mortgages. NLIHC has indicated that they will update the database as they obtain more data.

Housing Resources:

  • The City of Chicago Rental Assistance Program: financial assistance to Chicago residents to eligible individuals and families who are in danger of eviction
  • Legal Aid Chicago: legal support with fighting eviction during the 30-day moratorium period
  • Lawyers Committee for Better Housing: legal support with fighting eviction during the 30-day moratorium period
  • The Preservation Compact has compiled a list of resources to help renters who are facing financial hardship due to COVID-19
  • U-Haul Storage: one month of free self-storage for college students required to leave campus housing due to the coronavirus outbreak
  • Community Service Centers: resources from shelter, food and clothing to domestic violence assistance, drug rehab, job training and prisoner re-entry services
  • ShelterList: directory of shelters that offer assistance to people experiencing homelessness and housing instability
  • Housing Action Illinois: information and resources for housing and homelessness professionals
  • Federal Evictions Moratorium: National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has created a searchable database and map that allows some renters to identify if their home is covered by the CARES Act eviction moratoriums.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has put together a toolkit on the three stimulus packages that have passed at the federal level in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This toolkit includes information on housing, as well as other financial relief programs. Click here to access the toolkit.

Chicago Housing Pledge:

The Mayor’s Office unveiled a housing solidarity pledge this week. The pledge includes a written commitment from 11 private mortgage lenders to provide their loan holders with grace periods, waived fees, and no negative credit reporting if they are facing financial difficulty due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

We continue to ask that landlords work with their tenants during this unprecedented public health emergency to provide compassion and leniency. We ask that they work with them to formalize a repayment plan that waives late fees and interest. Tenants who have not been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis should continue to fulfill their rental commitments so their landlords can provide more leniency to those who have been impacted. 

Alderwoman Hadden will continue to work with her colleagues in the Committee on Housing and Real Estate to identify solutions around homeowner support, rental assistance, and homelessness. 

More on the Housing Solidarity Pledge is available online. 

Utilities & Internet Information:

Internet Service:

Comcast and RCN announced resources and steps they’re taking to support customers impacted by coronavirus-related closures and shutdowns