For many families, the high costs of repairs and maintenance can make homeownership unaffordable. Nearly a half of the single-family housing stock in Illinois is more 50 years old, and many of these homes are in need of updates, renovations or repairs that can be out of reach for low-income households.
IHDA’s Single Family Rehabilitation Program awarded funding to 21 municipalities and non-profit organizations to administer local repair programs allowing families in 19 counties to safely remain in their homes.
Melissa Williams was living paycheck to paycheck as she took care of her mother and focused on finishing college. Unable to replace her drafty windows – let alone repair her 20-year-old roof – she didn’t know where to turn when her boiler broke, leaving her home completely without heat. But when she saw an online ad for IHDA’s Single Family Rehabilitation Program, Melissa found the help she needed to make her home more comfortable, safe, and energy efficient without going into debt.
In FY2018, IHDA assisted communities to maintain affordability, prevent foreclosures and preserve the quality of the local single-family housing stock with programs designed to help homeowners make costly repairs they would have otherwise been unable to afford. Using funds from the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, IHDA’s Single Family Rehabilitation Program awarded funding to 21 municipalities and non-profit organizations to administer local repair programs so that residents like Melissa can have peace of mind living in a quality and comfortable home. With the assistance of those local program administrators, the program allowed families in 19 counties to safely remain in their homes this year by funding work that corrects code violations, eliminates health and safety hazards, and lowers energy consumption in aging properties.