Illinois homeowners who have struggled to keep up with mortgage payments and property tax bills because of COVID-19 will be able to apply for financial assistance starting in April, according to the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).

The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) will provide grants of up to $30,000 to help qualified applicants with past-due mortgage and property tax payments. The fund is designed to prevent default, foreclosure or displacement of those negatively affected by COVID-19. To be eligible, applicants must meet four criteria:

• Must own and occupy the property as their primary residence,
• Have household incomes less than 150 percent of the area’s median income,
• Must be at least 30 days late on mortgage or property tax payments,
• Have financial difficulty directly related to COVID-19 that began, continued or worsened after Jan. 21, 2020.

Before applying, IHDA recommends homeowners:

• Register for and attend an IHDA webinar on March 8, 15, 24 or 29, or a Spanish-language webinar March 3, 10, 17 or 31,
• contact their mortgage servicer or HUD-certified housing counseling agency for foreclosure prevention assistance, and
• gather required documents.

Webinars will cover:

• Description of loss mitigation,
• Mortgage basics,
• Foreclosure process,
• The ILHAF application process and program eligibility and
• Other free resources available to consumers, housing counselors and legal aid representatives.

Get more information on IHDA webinars.