Will County’s Community Development Division is Connecting Residents with the Following Services to Avoid Eviction
Mediation Services
Pursuing mediation may resolve issues between landlord and tenant.
Mediation is a process where a neutral third party called a Mediator helps landlords and tenants communicate to resolve issues through mutual agreement. Your attorney may attend the mediation with you. Mediation is a free alternative to the court process, but there is no guarantee that an agreement may be reached by both parties. If an agreement is not reached in mediation, your case will proceed in court. All discussions in mediation are confidential.
Housing Navigation Services
Court-based assistance is available to connect individuals with stability services.
A court-based housing navigator from the Will County Community Development Division is available during eviction court call to assist households and landlords/HOA’s/housing providers interested in taking advantage of housing assistance to help pay past due rent or homeowners association fees. Navigators will assist with checking status of existing applications, assist with preparing new applications, and providing connections to other housing assistance.
Legal Services
Prairie State Legal staff available to provide initial legal advice to qualifying tenants, assist through mediation where appropriate, in negotiating settlement agreements with landlords when feasible, and, in the tenants’ best interests, connect tenants with available resources, and provide extensive legal representation in eligible cases.
- Prairie State Legal Services: call 815-727-5123 or visit pslegal.org
Landlords in need of eviction help can access free legal information and chat with a virtual assistant through Eviction Help Illinois.
- Eviction Help Illinois: call 855-631-0811 or visit evictionhelpillinois.org
Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program
Assistance with payment of back due rent can help you avoid eviction.
- Are you in eviction court due to being behind on rent?
- Did you lose income or suffer financial hardship due to COVID-19?
- Are you at risk of becoming homeless?
If you answered “yes” you may be eligible for rental assistance. Proof of Citizenship is not required, rental assistance is not a “public charge” benefit.
Tenants and Housing Providers/Landlords can work together to apply online at ilrpp.ihda.org/tenant/apply
Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program
Eligibility Requirements
To receive assistance through Court-Based Rental Assistance Program (CBRAP), tenants must meet the following criteria:
- Tenant must be in a court-eviction proceeding and provide eviction court documentation.
- Household must have experienced a financial hardship directly, or indirectly, due to the pandemic.
- The household is behind on rent and/or is at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
- 2020 household income was below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), adjusted for household size.
- Proof of citizenship is not required. Rental assistance is not a “public- charge” benefit.
Documentation Requirements
Information needed to apply will include:
Before You Begin Your Application
Gather ALL necessary documents for your application.
Make sure the Tenant and Landlord each have an active email account.
How to Apply
Section I – Completed by Tenant
- Visit ilrpp.ihda.org and submit:
– Court Summons Information
– Your Name & Email Address
– Landlord Name & Landlord Email Address
– Rental Unit Information
– Lease Information
– Previous COVID Assistance (if received)
– Amounts of Past Due Rent - After completing Section I, the Tenant will receive an email from DocuSign within 24 hours with instructions to complete Section II. Please monitor your email, including spam and junk folders.
Section II – Completed by Tenant
- Click REVIEW DOCUMENTS in the DocuSign email
- Click CONTINUE, upload your documents, and enter:
– Government-issued Photo ID (regardless of expiration date)
– Proof of Address dated within 90 days Income Information or a completed and signed Income Attestation Form
– Eviction Court Document (Court Summons Document)
(Please note, court documentation is required for review of the application) - Copy down your Application ID # located at the top left side of the page
- If you need to finish your application later, please click FINISH LATER
(You can access your saved application in the email link from DocuSign) - Submit application by clicking FINISH – changes cannot be made once the application has been submitted
- Once you have submitted Section II, the Landlord will receive an email from DocuSign within 24 hours with instructions to complete Section III
Section II – Completed by Housing Provider/Landlord
- Click REVIEW DOCUMENTS in the DocuSign email.
- Click CONTINUE, upload your documents, and enter:
– Grant Payment Information (who grant should be paid to)
– SSN or ITIN (if payment is made to an individual)
– Employer ID Number (if payment is made to a business entity)
– Eviction Court Document (Court Summons Document)
(Please note, court documentation is required for review of the application) - Copy down your Application ID # located at the top left side of the page
- If you need to finish your application later, please click FINISH LATER
– You can access your saved application in the email link from DocuSign - The landlord must click FINISH to submit Section III – changes cannot be made once the application has been submitted.
Both Tenant and Housing Provider/Landlord MUST submit their Sections of the application to be eligible for review.