While the program saw a third of its funds wiped away for the 2026 fiscal year that began July 1, $50 million in state funds are available. The reduction came as rents in Chicago keep rising and after the state grappled with serious fiscal challenges when balancing its budget this year. The state rental assistance program was previously funded by federal aid distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Benefits include up to $10,000 per tenant. Higher taxes on the way with continued new and better spending programs at a time of financial perils.