Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has quietly extended a statewide ban on residential evictions after many residents indicated they fear they could face homelessness in the coming months.
While there is already a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health order banning all evictions nationwide through October, that ban only applies to areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates.
The recently extended statewide moratorium applies to all Illinois counties, even in areas reporting low transmission rates.
Tucked away in the Governor’s COVID-19 Executive Orders signed this past Friday, the residential eviction moratorium was extended through Sept. 18. A previous iteration of the moratorium lasted through Sept. 3.
Pritzker’s office did not respond to NBC 5 Responds’ questions about the moratorium extension.
While the moratorium prevents the enforcement of an eviction order, property owners and landlords can still file for eviction in court or challenge a tenant’s written declaration that they fell behind in rent due to COVID-19. But, the moratorium prevents final trials and judgments from taking place in those types of hearings.
Housing advocates say the moratorium extension will buy tenants and landlords more time to connect with rental assistance funds that are still available.
Rental assistance through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is still available through a wide network of providers across the state (to learn more about those resources, click here.)
Also, a court-based assistance program -- run by IDHS -- is slated to go into effect this September and will help connect renters with funding and resources.
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