From the Neighborhood and Housing Services website:
On Friday, July 19th Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS) participated in a press conference in Auburn Gresham with Governor Pat Quinn and the U.S. Department of the Treasury officials to highlight a success story of the Illinois Hardest Hit Program and to urge homeowners to apply for up to $35,000 in mortgage payment assistance by September 30th when the program ends.
Governor Quinn launched the Illinois Hardest Hit Program in September 2011 to assist homeowners who have experienced an income reduction due to unemployment or substantial underemployment. The program makes mortgage payments on behalf of the borrower for up to 18 months, or $35,000 per household. The assistance allows eligible households to maintain their home while they work to regain employment and financial stability.
The press conference took place at NHS client Harriett Edmonds’ home in Auburn Gresham. Harriett lost her job in 2011 and was unable to make mortgage payments due to providing care for her ill mother. With NHS’ help and assistance from the Illinois Hardest Hit Program, Harriett was approved for assistance in June 2012. The program allowed her to stay in her home while she looked for a full-time job. Harriett will start a new job on Monday as a grant manager for a Chicago-based foundation. “Thanks to the Illinois Hardest Hit program, I was able to keep my home while I continued my job search, Edmonds said. “I’m happy to start a new job on Monday with my home intact.”
To date, 9,000 homeowners have been helped by the Illinois Hardest Hit program. Each qualifying homeowner received mortgage assistance averaging $33,000. The program is estimated to help another 1,200 homeowners before it concludes in September.
For more information on the Illinois Hardest Hit Fund, please contact NHS at (773) 329-4010.