Free Legal Help for Cook County Residents

• Are you dealing with an eviction or unresolved debt issue?
• Are you behind on your mortgage or property tax payments?
• Do you live in Cook County?

You are not in this alone. You may be eligible for FREE legal help.
Residents of Cook County can use a new, dedicated hotline(Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt) that helps homeowners, renters, and debtors who are struggling to make ends meet due to COVID-19.

Low-income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)

LIHWAP provides funds to assist low-income households with water and wastewater bills. The program goal is to prevent disconnection and restore drinking water and wastewater services to households and reduce arrearages. For more information, check out the LIHWAP information page. To apply: complete a PreApplication online at cedaorg.net/liheap/pre-app or Call CEDA’s Call Center at (800) 571-CEDA (2332) to complete an application over the phone.

Homebuyer Assistance

The Illinois Housing Development Authority offers several programs to help home buyers with their home purchases.
Income and purchase limits apply and can be found here: https://www.ihdamortgage.org/limits

IHDAccess is down-payment assistance program that comes in 3 variations with amounts between $6,000 and $10,000 depending on the repayment terms (forgiven, deferred, repayable).

IHDA Smart Buy is a new program specifically targeted at home buyers with student debt. It combines down-payment assistance ($5,000) and student loans repayment (15%, up to $40,000)

IHDA Opening Doors provides a flat $6,000 of down-payment assistance as a 5 year forgivable loan.

Find out more information about these programs on IHDA's website and compare each program with this matrix sheet:

Housing Rehab Loans

The Rehabilitation Program provides owner-occupants and owners of residential structures with financial assistance based upon family size and income to address  safety and well-being issues requiring housing renovation work. In order to ensure funds are utilized in the best manner, the City uses a priority ranking to decide which projects to fund and when, prioritizing health and safety risks, and structural issues where it is apparent violations will exist in the near future.
Find out more about eligibility requirements and how to apply on the Housing Rehab loan page.

Housing Counseling Resources

There are many housing counseling resources available through the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, several local credit unions, as well as CEDA/ Neighbors at Work. There are also additional counseling resources on the Housing and Urban Development website.

Illinois Housing Development Authority

At IHDA, we believe success starts with our people—no matter the position, each employee’s work with IHDA has an impact that helps change lives, build stronger communities, and create a better Illinois. The employees of IHDA help fulfill our mission on a daily basis to finance the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Illinois, through home buyer assistance and rental assistance. 

Community Partners for Affordable Housing

COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING (CPAH) is a nonprofit that provides permanently affordable housing (both ownership and rental) for those who struggle to meet their basic human need of housing.  CPAH is one of the few entities addressing the lack of safe, decent affordable housing in the region and it is the only entity that builds a permanent inventory of housing which will remain affordable forever to address the communities; current and future affordable housing needs.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago

The mission of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago is to partner with our member shareholders in Illinois and Wisconsin to provide them competitively priced funding, a reasonable return on their investment in the Bank, and support for community investment activities. We’re one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932 to promote homeownership. Our members include banks, thrifts, credit unions, insurers, and community development financial institutions throughout our district.

Housing Opportunity Development Corporation 

HODC is committed to expanding housing opportunities in Chicago’s northern suburbs. We are a community-based organization that develops and manages affordable homes for low- and moderate-income households. We also offer first-time homebuyer counseling and educational presentations on affordable housing issues.