CHICAGO (WMBD)– The Illinois Housing Development Authority announced the grand opening of the Home Repair and Accessibility Program on Tuesday.
The HRAP is designed to assist low-income and very low-income homeowners with health, safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency repairs to their homes. Eligible homeowners may receive up to $45,000 of the $15.3 million to cover necessary repairs through a five-year, forgivable loan.
“Every Illinoisan deserves housing that is safe and accessible – no matter their economic status or zip code,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This $15.3 million home improvement grant program will provide low-income and disabled Illinoisans with the resources and support they need to stay in their homes—all while investing in communities that have been underserved for far too long.”
HRAP will be administered locally through 36 local government and nonprofit organizations with experience operating and administering homeowner rehabilitation assistance programs.
Homeowners must be at-or-below 80 percent of the Area Median Income based on household size, current on their mortgage payments, and the property must be single-family.
For owner-occupied properties, the property must be the homeowner’s primary residence. Permanently affixed mobile homes are allowed if the homeowner owns the land underneath the mobile home, and they can record the IHDA mortgage against the property. Renter-occupied properties are also eligible to make accessibility upgrades.
More information on eligibility and a list of administering agencies can be found at https://www.ihda.org/my-community/revitalization-programs/.
Households can apply for HRAP grants by contacting one of the funded organizations that serves their community. These organizations will provide more information on eligibility and the application process.
Contact information for each organization is available on IHDA’s website here. Households residing in areas not currently served by HRAP are encouraged to contact a HUD-certified housing counseling agency to discuss their options beyond HRAP.
