Eviction Help Illinois

In response to the housing crisis fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the IEJF provides grants to nonprofit organizations delivering free legal help and information to people facing eviction and housing stability. These services are provided through Eviction Help Illinois, a statewide network people can access via phone, text or web chat.

IEJF has been charged with distributing grant funding to civil legal aid and mediation organizations to assist Illinois residents facing eviction and housing instability. This sixth year of funding (State of Illinois Fiscal Year 2027) will continue to support the state-wide eviction services created in FY 21 as Eviction Help Illinois for downstate, suburban Cook County, and specialized populations within Cook County communities.

Since its launch in 2021, Eviction Help Illinois has provided services to more than 795,000 Illinoisans.

Read Our Latest FY 26 Impact Report

GRANT ELIGIBILITY

Organizations are eligible to apply for a grant from the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation if they:

Are certified and in compliance with the Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) requirements;
Have a demonstrated track record in providing legal assistance or mediation services to individuals impacted by housing insecurity;
Are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
Provide services to Illinois residents set forth in the “Purposes” section.  To determine if a particular project qualifies for a grant, see the specific guidelines for the categories noted above.
Provide services to low-income people free of charge. Low-income is defined as a household income of up to 80% Area Median Income (AMI) in Chicago for Cook County grantees and 80% Area Median Income (AMI) in Illinois for all other counties. Current AMI can be found here.
Provide services in downstate counties and/or suburban Cook County. Any funding directed toward Chicago is subject to availability. Grants will not duplicate services funded under Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt or the Chicago Right to Counsel Program.

AVAILABLE FUNDING

Funding for this grant has not been finalized as of 3/15/26 due to the timing of the passage of the Illinois state budget. In the event the funds are not included in the state budget as planned, the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation will not be able to proceed with awarding these funds. This funding is designated by the State of Illinois to support eviction response legal and mediation services through the State’s FY 27 fiscal year (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027). The tentative budget for FY 27 grants is approximately $4,750,000.

IL GRANT FUNDS RECOVERY ACT

Please note these funds are subject to the IL Grant Funds Recovery Act. Please familiarize yourself before submitting an application.

EVICTION HELP ILLINOIS GRANT GUIDELINES FOR FY 27

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation will make Eviction Help Illinois grants in the following two categories:

View Complete Guidelines

KEY DATES

The grant period will be July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, and the application and review process will follow this schedule:

March 30, 2026 – Applications are available at www.iejf.org.
April 20, 2026 – Completed applications & proposals due
May 18-22, 2026 – Grant review & virtual site visits
June 2026 – Board decisions announced

LIMITATIONS

Funds provided by the State of Illinois, including funds distributed by the IEJF, may not be spent on a sectarian purpose.
Said funds may not be used for the purpose of lobbying; encouraging political activities, labor or anti-labor activities, boycotts, picketing, strikes or demonstrations; or investigative or legal compliance activities related to a pending dispute.
No more than 15% of grants awarded by the IEJF can be used for indirect costs unless the applicant has a higher state/federal negotiated reimbursement rate. Failure to abide by this may jeopardize future funding from the IEJF.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted electronically by April 20, 2026.

Application procedures and forms will be available by March 30, 2026 at www.iejf.org under the Grants tab. From there, you can login to the grant portal. The “Apply” button on the top left will allow you to select your funding category and apply.

QUESTIONS?

More information on Eviction Help Illinois can be found at evictionhelpillinois.org

For more information about the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation’s grant guidelines and procedures, contact Tyrina Newkirk Sutton, Program Officer at tnewkirk@iejf.org. To learn more about the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, click here.

tnewkirk@iejf.org

GRANT DISBURSEMENT

Grant payments will be disbursed monthly following receipt of program service and financial reports for actual costs incurred during that preceding month. Payments are dependent on receipt of funds from the State of Illinois. Grantees may request an advance payment for Eviction Help Illinois. The process and approval for advance funds will be determined by IEJF. Subsequent monthly payments will be based on monthly financial invoices to reconcile payments previously advanced.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Grant reports must be submitted via the IEJF grantee portal as well.

All grantees must submit monthly program service reports and financial invoices by the following dates for services provided and actual costs incurred in the preceding month.