Some residents can now receive assistance for up to six months of past-due rent through Evanston’s CV19 Rent Assistance Program, which opened up its first phase of applications on Tuesday. 

Residents are eligible if they live in parts of the 5th, 8th, 2nd and 9th wards, are not receiving housing subsidies and can demonstrate pandemic-related income loss, two to six months of past-due rent since April 2020 and a household income below 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Payments will be sent directly to landlords.

Residents can apply by emailing their name, address and phone number to [email protected] or by calling 847-448-8112. The first phase will be open to applications for two weeks, and will prioritize lower-income residents who owe larger amounts of rent. 

City officials estimate just over 25 percent of Evanston renter households — over 3,000 separate households — are potentially at risk of eviction based on data from a US Census Household Pulse Survey for the Chicago metro area that was published in December. 

The $500,000 grant to Connections for the Homeless for the rent assistance program City Council approved in January is set to assist between 40 and 70 local households. 

If enough funding remains, residents with small landlords from parts of the 2nd and 4th wards may also be eligible to apply for assistance under the program after the first phase ends. Ineligible residents can also apply for county- and state-level rent assistance programs.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @maia_spoto 

Related Stories: 

— Council approves grant for rent assistance program

— City staff discuss combating rise in housing insecurity as pandemic persists

— Despite city, community response, eviction threat persists