$300 million in mortgage aid is available through the Illinois Hardest Hit Fund, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The fund, administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is aimed at homeowners who are struggling to make mortgage payments because they are unemployed or have had their income cut.

In other news:

Homeownership is still an important part of the American Dream. A report by National Public Radio takes a closer look at the state of homeownership including a recent Woodrow Wilson Center poll that found that 90 percent of people think that homeownership is part of the American Dream. Read NPR’s full story.