Despite the socio-economic challenges faced by individuals and families in Illinois, a variety of supportive housing options exist owing to both state and federal assistance.
1. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
One option is Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). These are rental housing subsidized by the federal and state government with a strong support service component. Individuals and families with long standing chronic health problems and disabilities are eligible for this service. The aim is to provide a stable living condition for individuals who are often homeless or facing eviction due to their health conditions. In essence, PSH looks to integrate the availability of housing with on-site voluntary support services like medical and mental health treatment.
2. Illinois Rental Housing Support Program
The Illinois Rental Housing Support program is the state’s largest rental housing assistance program. Run by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, it serves suburban and rural Illinois. It works by providing subsidies to landlords to rent out apartments to low-income families at a fee they can afford. The program substantively reduces the amount paid by beneficiaries, with individuals contributing only 30% of their income to rent.
3. Project-Based Section 8
Administered by Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Project-Based Section 8 is a project-based housing subsidy contracts with private landlords to make housing affordable for low-income residents. This federal program subsidizes the difference between the individual’s contribution and the actual market rent. As long as the resident remains in these designated properties, the subsidy continues.
4. Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
Similarly, the Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, is available. It provides vouchers to eligible individuals and families to lease private housing of their choice including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments. The program caps the portion of the rent beneficiary pays at approximately 30% of their gross income, with the remaining covered by the voucher.
5. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Another supportive service is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This is a federally funded program aiding in managing costs of energy bills, energy crises and weatherization, and minor energy-related home repairs for low-income households.
6. Permanent Housing with Short-Term Supportive Services
Permanent Housing with Short-Term Supportive Services provides rent subsidies and supportive services for up to two years. It supports people experiencing homelessness to move quickly from emergency shelter or the streets into their own homes.
These programs together present an array of options for supportive housing in Illinois, providing notable assistance to individual and families facing housing challenges. These offerings substantively combat locational barriers to housing access by spreading availability into rural, suburban, and urban geographies alike.
While these efforts are certainly commendable in bridging affordability gaps, the scale of housing assistance need in Illinois far outstrips available resources. Therefore, more housing assistance resources and streamlining of service provision processes are needed to ensure every Illinoisan can safely and affordably house themselves and their families. Meanwhile, these supportive housing options do provide critical resources for many, helping to mitigate one of the core challenges of poverty in the state.
