Illinois Housing Handbook

Illinois

Housing

Handbook

(second edition, 2017)

Illinois Housing Empowerment Handbook by DCFS & Heartland Alliance is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The creaon of this handbook has truly been a collaborave process.

The idea came from a youth who was once in DCFS care who

parcipated in a focus group facilitated by Beacon Therapeuc’s Family

Asserve Community Treatment (FACT) program. The FACT System

Integraon Manager helped create the Homeless Prevenon Sub-

Commiee of the Mayor’s Task Force on Homeless Youth (MTFHY) in

Chicago. With assistance and guidance from subcommiee members,

DCFS and Heartland Health Outreach set up a commiee that led to the

creaon of this handbook to help rst me renters obtain and maintain

housing.

This handbook was inspired by Marion Latzko’s handbook called I Need

a Place to Live. I would like to acknowledge the contribuons made by

Aimee Gendusa-English (Cizen Ulity Board), Alaina Duca (DCFS), Amy

Dworsky (Chapin Hall), Arielle Weston (DCFS Intern from the University

of Chicago), Blake Wilkinson (Heartland Health Outreach intern from

the University of Illinois) Carie Bires (Ounce of Prevenon), Carrie Bosch

(Heartland Health Outreach intern from the University of Illinois), Fiona

Anderson (FACT System’s Integraon Manager from Heartland Health

Outreach), Jeremy Harvey (at the me with the Oce of the Public

Guardian), John Bartle (Metropolitan Tenant’s Organizaon), Rene

Heybach (Chicago Coalion for the Homeless) and Victoria Ogunsanya

(Lawyers Commiee for Beer Housing).

John Cheney Egan

Housing Specialist

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Disclaimer 4

Overview 4

Types of Housing 6

Cash Assistance Programs 14

Homeless Assistance Services 17

The Housing Search 23

Background Checks 30

Signing a Lease 36

Moving In 38

Tenants’ Rights and Responsibilies 44

Pest Control 49

Other Health and Safety Consideraons 53

Moving Out 54

Evicons 56

Foreclosures 61

Financial Planning 66

Job Seeking Advice 75

Entlements 78

Final Thoughts 80

DISCLAIMER

This manual is provided as a public service by the Illinois Department of

Children and Family Services and is intended for the informaonal use

and convenience of interested persons and should not be considered a

substute for the advice of legal counsel.

Although the informaon found in this manual is believed to be reliable

as of the me of this manual’s publicaon, no warranty, expressed or

implied, is made regarding the accuracy, completeness, or legality of

any informaon, either isolated or in the aggregate. The informaon is

provided “as is”. Changes may be periodically made to the informaon

contained herein; these changes may or may not be incorporated into

this manual; and informaon contained in the manual may quickly

become out of date.

This guide is not a legal manual. We do not oer any legal advice.

Therefore, if you need legal advice, we encourage you to consult an

aorney of your choice. You will nd a number of places in this handbook

to help you do this.

OVERVIEW

We wrote this handbook to help make obtaining and maintaining

housing easier and less confusing, especially for rst me renters. We

provide informaon that every apartment hunter should know. We

explain how to search for a place, how to build a producve relaonship

with your landlord, how to prepare your home, and discuss ways

you can move out of your apartment. We also provide useful ps for

increasing your success as a tenant.

There are perks to nding your own apartment or home -- you establish

credit and responsibility, and build your own life. You nd that you have

more freedom and privacy. Finding and maintaining housing provides

you safety and stability, beer health, and a plaorm for you to work on

other goals such as educaon or employment.

Most of the informaon you need is already on the internet. You will

nd that we oen recommend vising websites in this handbook. We

encourage you to read this handbook while online so you can quickly

access these resources.

Obtaining and Maintaining Housing: There’s an App for that.

The Metropolitan Tenant’s Organizaon (MTO) has created a free web-

based app called Squared Away Chicago. As the name suggests, the app

currently is only available in Chicago but with success it will be extended

statewide and then naonally. The app provides access to resources

about rights as well as the ability to document and share issues between

tenants and landlords in real-me. This app helps resolve issues faster

with increased accountability and fewer misunderstandings. Any tenant

or landlord can access the app at

hp://www.squaredawaychicago.com

MTO oers comprehensive informaon about landlord-tenant issues

and supplies sample leers on their website at:

hp://www.tenants-rights.org/category/landlord-tenant-faq//

You can also call MTO’s tenants’ hotline (773-292-4988). If you live

outside of Chicago, we suggest that you consult your county’s website

for informaon regarding specic landlord-tenant laws.

TYPES OF HOUSING

Private Market Rentals

Private market rate housing accounts for the vast majority of housing

opons. Landlords price market rate rental housing to maximize their

prots. If they charge too much, nobody will want to rent the unit. The

amount that they will charge depends on a number of things, including

the quality of the neighborhood, the quality of the unit, the amenies

and number of rooms. Perhaps the greatest factor aecng the price

of housing is locaon. Generally speaking, housing in urban areas, like

Chicago and the Cook County suburbs, will be more expensive than rural

areas. Some neighborhoods have higher priced housing than others.

Without a subsidy, a private market rate unit is oen expensive. The

general rule is that people should not spend more than 30% of their

income on housing (rent and ulies). Unfortunately, many people do.

Because of this, persons who have a low income typically search for less

expensive market rate housing (with a smaller size, fewer amenies and

located in a less desirable locaon) and sll pay more than 30% (oen

even more than half) of their income on housing.

Emergency Housing

Occasionally, persons in inadequate housing request emergency

housing. There is no such thing as emergency housing. The process of

nding aordable housing can take weeks, months or even years. The

only form of emergency housing is an emergency shelter.

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV, also known as the Secon 8) Program

HCV is a housing subsidy that eligible persons receive to reduce their

share of the cost of rent. Typically the tenant pays 30% of their income

on housing (though in certain situaons parcipants can choose to

pay up to 40%). HCV is a very popular program and most housing

authories’ waing lists are closed and are very long when they are

open.

If you are lucky enough to obtain an HCV or some other form of a

subsidized housing, it is important that you are honest about your

income. The amount of rent you will pay is based largely on your

reported income. You may lose your voucher if you don’t report your

income accurately. Housing Authories are very good at nding

program parcipants’ incomes. One of the most common reasons

program parcipants lose their voucher is because they don’t report

their income accurately.

The most important eligibility criterion is that the applicant must have

a very low income (dened as 50% of the area’s median income). Area

median incomes are dened by the federal government. The federal

government denes these by area and by household size. In most areas,

50% of the median income is surprisingly high. Your housing authority

can give you more informaon on income eligibility criteria. Even if you

consider yourself a middle income household, you should apply for an

HCV if the waing list is open.

The housing authority determines the amount the parcipant pays

on rent and almost always follows program rules correctly. First, the

housing authority determines your poron of the rent payment by

mulplying your total adjusted income (some income is not counted) by

30%. Second, the housing authority reduces the amount that you will

pay on housing by the amount that the housing authority esmates that

you will pay on ulies. The housing authority oen refers to this as the

“ulity allowance.”

The housing authority uses a formula to esmate the costs of the

ulies each month based on the average costs of ulies in the area,

the size of the unit rented, the fuel type (gas, electric, etc.), and the

ulies the family is responsible for paying out of pocket. If an HCV

parcipant has lile or no income, it is possible, that the housing

authority may provide the family with addional assistance in paying its

ulies. This is called a “ulity reimbursement payment.” If all ulies

are included in the rent, there is no ulity allowance applied, but the

landlord may be able to charge more for the unit because ulies are

included.

If you fail to pay your rent or your ulies, you could be out of

compliance with program rules and can be evicted and terminated from

the program. If you are terminated from the program, you may not be

allowed to reapply for any type of subsidized housing operated by any

public housing authority for three to ve years.

If you are approved for an HCV you will receive a piece of paper usually

called a “Request for Tenancy Approval” or “Request for Inspecon”

(though commonly referred to as “moving papers” or the “voucher”).

We will refer to this as the RTA. You take this paper with you on your

housing search. In some areas of the State outside of Cook County,

the landlord has the right to refuse to parcipate in the HCV program.

In Cook County, the landlord cannot discriminate by denying housing

to you based on your parcipaon in the HCV program. (Of course,

landlords may sll deny your applicaon for other reasons such as poor

credit history, criminal background or previous evicons).

If a landlord agrees to consider you, the landlord will complete the RTA

and you or the landlord must return the RTA to the housing authority

with any other addional informaon needed to allow the landlord to

take part in the program (e.g., their management agreement with the

owner and a deed to show ownership). You have a limited amount of

me to locate housing (usually between 60 and 120 days). If you take

too long you will lose your voucher and the housing authority will give it

to another household.

Aer receiving the RTA paperwork, the landlord is screened for

certain criteria, and then the housing authority will inspect the unit to

determine if the unit meets federal housing quality standards. Aer

the unit passes an inspecon, conducted by the housing authority,

the housing authority will determine if the asking rent for the unit is

reasonable by reviewing other rented units in the market place. If the

unit is approved the housing authority and the landlord accepts the

oered rent, the property manager and the program parcipant will sign

a lease and the housing authority and the landlord will sign a Housing

Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. Aer the HAP contract is executed

by landlord, the parcipant is usually allowed to move into the unit. The

housing authority will request a copy of the lease that is signed by the

family and their new property manager or owner. You must comply with

the obligaons in your lease such as provisions about pets and late fees.

Unlike project based programs, including public housing, if you receive

an HCV subsidy, the subsidy will stay with you as long as you remain

eligible for the program. If you have an HCV and decide to move, you

can take the voucher to any housing authority in the country (as well as

U.S. protectorates and territories like Puerto Rico) that administers an

HCV program. Of course, any me you decide to move, you will receive a

new RTA and have to nd a new landlord that is willing to rent to you. At

that me, the leasing process involving an inspecon, rent oer, and a

new contract must be completed again.

Typical Housing Subsidy Formula

Most subsidized housing programs use a similar formula to determine

the amount of the subsidy the tenant will receive and the amount of

rent the tenant will pay.

Example 1: Joe

Let’s assume Joe has an HCV and earns $500 per month, has located

an apartment that costs $600 and the housing authority esmates his

monthly ulity bills total $100.

• Joe will pay 30% of his income on housing which would be $150.

• Since the ulity allowance is $100, Joe will pay only $50 for rent.

• Joe must pay all of his ulity bills, even if these ulity bills

exceed $100 per month.

• The rest of the rent is paid by the housing authority.

Example 2: Mary

Let’s assume Mary lives in public housing (explained below) and earns

$300 per month. The housing authority esmates her monthly ulity

bills total $150.

• Mary will pay 30% of her income on housing which would be

$90.

• Since the ulity allowance is $150, Mary will pay no rent and

could receive a $60 ulity reimbursement check from the

housing authority. If the housing authority has a minimum

rent of $50 or more (many housing authories do) the ulity

allowance would be $50 less or $10 per month.

• Mary is responsible to pay all of her ulity bills, even if these

ulity bills exceed $150 per month. Mary doesn’t pay any rent.

Public Housing Program

Public Housing is owned by the local housing authority. It is oen

managed by the local housing authority as well. Some housing

authories contract with private landlords to manage their public

housing. The subsidy is calculated much the same way that the subsidy

is calculated with HCV (discussed above).

Like HCV, the most important eligibility criterion is that the applicant

must have a very low income (dened as 50% of the area’s median

income). The area median income is dened by the federal government

and it is oen surprisingly high. We encourage you to apply to see if you

qualify.

Public housing programs usually have long waing lists of months or

even years. Many public housing waing lists are currently closed.

Persons interested in applying for public housing can check with their

local housing authority to determine if their waing list is open. If open,

eligible applicants are encouraged to apply even if the waing list is

a number of years long. You never know if you will need subsidized

housing when your name is called. If you don’t need it when your name

is called, you can always decline.

Project Based Subsidized Housing

Some buildings receive subsidies from federal, state or local

governments to subsidize housing for low income households. Like

public housing, the property owner receives the subsidy to make the

unit aordable for low-income households. Unlike public housing,

project based subsidized housing is owned by private property owners.

In these programs, the parcipant must move into the subsidized unit to

benet from the subsidy.

You may nd that some subsidized housing is not aordable. The

denion of low income depends on the type of the program. Some

programs serve households who earn more than $50,000 per year.

Furthermore, the amount of the subsidy may not make the unit

aordable to households with a very low income. When you talk to a

landlord about a “subsidized” housing unit, you sll need to nd out the

rent the landlord will charge to see if you can aord it.

One of the most prevalent forms of project based subsidized housing

is oen referred to as Project Based Secon 8. This program ensures

that housing is aordable to persons with extremely low incomes. The

eligibility criteria and the amount of the subsidy are similar to HCV.

Unlike HCV, the landlord receives the subsidy. If you live in one of these

subsidized units, you do not take the subsidy with you if you move.

Instead, the subsidized housing is rented to another eligible applicant

who moves into that unit.

Like other subsidized housing programs, project based subsidized

housing usually has very long waing lists. Many of these waing lists

are closed. Local housing authories may also keep informaon on

project based subsidized housing in their area. The Naonal Housing

Preservaon Database has recently been launched by the Public and

Aordable Housing Research Corporaon (PAHRC) and the Naonal Low

Income Housing Coalion (NLIHC). You will have to register with your

name and email address before you can log on and see all available

properes in the state at:

hp://www.preservaondatabase.org/nhpd/login.aspx

Permanent Supporve Housing (PSH)

PSH provides subsidized housing and supporve services. Usually the

rent is calculated similar to the way that it is dened in the Housing

Choice Voucher secon (discussed above). It is called permanent

because as long as parcipants are eligible, they can receive both the

subsidy and services. Somemes the social service providers work out

of oces in the building. The program can also house the tenant in a

“scaered site” unit in the community and the service provider visits the

tenant in their unit.

PSH programs have their own eligibility criteria. Some serve senior

cizens or persons with a development disability or mental illness. Some

serve persons who are chronically homeless. Many programs have their

own applicaon protocol and eligibility criteria.

In Illinois, you can nd some PSH programs through websites provided

by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA). IHDA provides a

wonderful site for renters. Like this manual it provided tenant rights and

ps to help renters maintain and locate rental housing.

hps://www.ihda.org/my-home/renng-a-house/

IHDA also created ILHousingSearch.org to help property owners list their

properes as well as to help renter nd rental housing. Some of the

lisngs on this site are PSH programs. Many of the lisngs are private

market rate rental units. You can nd this site at:

hp://ilhousingsearch.org/

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) funds supporve

housing programs. They provide a list of supporve housing programs

on their website. This list (and website) is updated every year so this

manual does not contain a link to the actual website. Instead we

recommend that you visit the following IDHS website and click on the

“See Supporve Housing Provider Lisng” link.

hp://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=30361

Your local Connuum of Care (CoC) usually knows of PSH programs in

your area. Informaon about CoCs is provided in the Homeless Services

secon below.

You can access most PSH in Chicago by applying through the Central

Referral System (CRS). Persons who meet the HUD’s denion of

homelessness may obtain PSH by registering on CRS. You can log onto

CRS at www.chicagocrs.org/

Rapid Rehousing Program (RRHP)

RRHP was created by the federal smulus program in 2009. Funding for

the program ended but many CoCs have used other funding to connue

the program. Some refer to it by other names but are familiar with the

term. The program provides a housing subsidy similar to HCV. Unlike

HCV, the RRHP is me limited (usually 3 to 24 months). Because it is

me limited, some programs reduce the amount of the subsidy over

me to prepare the parcipant for the me that the subsidy ends.

To obtain informaon on RRHP, call your local CoC (see CoC list in the

Homeless Services secon below). The best way for Chicago residents

to access RRHP services is by calling 311 or vising the Chicago Housing

Opons Survey Tool at: www.chicagohousingopons.org

Friends and Family

We never want to be dependent on others for our housing.

Unfortunately, somemes we have no choice. If it weren’t for friends or

families, many more people would have spent some me in a homeless

shelter. Before going to a shelter, see if there is anywhere else you can

stay instead. When it happens, we hope it will be temporary. During

these mes, it is important to be a good guest. This includes:

• Helping out with chores;

• Keeping the room or area where you are sleeping clean;

• Refraining from bringing guests over (especially overnight);

• Helping out with rent, ulies and food expenses;

• Finding other ways you can contribute (e.g., walking the dog,

babysing)

CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Homeless Prevenon Funds (HPF)

IDHS funds to community agencies to provide cash assistance to help

persons who are homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless.

HPF is usually used to pay security deposits, rent and ulity arrears.

If you apply for HPF, you will likely need to demonstrate how you will

pay future bills. You may need to prove your source and amount of

your monthly income to qualify. To nd the provider serving your area

contact you CoC (see below) or:

• Chicago residents can call 311

• Suburban Cook Co. residents should call 877-426-6515

• In all other counes, visit IDHS website at:

hp://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=30360

Because of the overwhelming need for assistance, providers are oen

out of funding for HPF. Similar programs may also be available and the

HPF provider may know of other agencies that may have funds to help

a person who is homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. Some

programs have special eligibility criteria.

LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)

LIHEAP helps lower-income individuals pay their ulity bills. The

program is meant for people facing a crisis and cannot pay their ulity

bill. In Illinois, LIHEAP starts each year on November 1st. Seniors

and people with disabilies can apply early, starng September 1st.

The emergency assistance component of the program also starts on

September 1

. Unfortunately, many people nd that when they need

assistance the program does not have funding available. It is important

to apply as early as possible every year and never plan to fall behind on

your ulies in order to use LIHEAP.

In 2011, LIHEAP began oering a new opon called the Percentage

of Income Payment Plan, or “PIPP”. Instead of a one-me block grant

like tradional LIHEAP, the LIHEAP PIPP provides a monthly spend

towards gas and electric bills. To stay on the program, you must pay a

certain amount out of pocket on me, every month, but the amount

is determined based on your income and should be aordable. If you

enroll in this program, follow all the instrucons and make appropriate

payments on me.

LIHEAP grants are available to all Illinois residents regardless of what

ulity company provides service. If you have power through your town,

or through an electric co-op, or if you use propane, heang oil, or coal

in your furnace, you are sll eligible for a tradional LIHEAP grant. The

agency in your area will know how to help you. To apply, contact a

Community Acon Agency in your area to make an appointment. Search

by county at:

hps://www.illinois.gov/dceo/CommunityServices/HomeWeatherizaon/

CommunityAconAgencies/Pages/default.aspx

To obtain more informaon on LIHEAP, visit the Illinois Department of

Commerce LIHEAP website at:

hps://www.illinois.gov/dceo/CommunityServices/UlityBillAssistance/Pages/

HowtoApply.aspx

Programs Oered by Ulity Companies

Ulity companies also provide assistance. You can receive funds through

these programs in addion to any LIHEAP funds you may receive. These

programs use a variety of funding sources and the eligibility criteria are

subject to change. Somemes you can apply for them at the same place

where you apply for LIHEAP. To nd out more about these programs, call

your ulity or visit its website:

• Ameren Illinois – Warm Neighbors, Cool Friends: Call 888-690-

5700 or visit:

hp://warmneighborscoolfriends.com/

• Com Ed – Residenal Special Hardship Fund: Call 800-334-7661

or visit:

hps://www.comed.com/MyAccount/CustomerSupport/Pages/

ResidenalHardship.aspx

• Nicor – Nicor Gas Sharing Program: call 888-642-6748 or visit:

hp://nicorgas.aglr.com/home/EnergyAssistance/SharingProgram.aspx

• North Shore Gas – Share the Warmth: Call 866-556-6004 or

visit:

hp://www.northshoregasdelivery.com/home/share_warmth.aspx

• Peoples Gas - Share the Warmth: Call 866-556-6001 or visit:

hp://www.peoplesgasdelivery.com/home/share_warmth.aspx

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE SERVICES

Rights of Persons Who Are Homeless

In 2013, Illinois became the second state to enact a Bill of Rights for

the Homeless law, which established a list of basic rights of homeless

persons to protect them from discriminaon based on their housing

status. Broadly, all “rights, privileges and access to public services” are

protected. Some rights specically listed include:

• keeping one’s job despite no permanent address;

• accessing emergency medical care;

• moving freely in public spaces and using transit systems;

• possessing personal property free from search;

• protecng records and informaon from unauthorized disclosure;

and,

• the right to vote and to be given the documentaon necessary to

vote.

These rights cannot be violated or denied solely based on “housing

status” (i.e., living on the street, in a shelter or temporary residence).

Under this act, a homeless person has the right to take legal acon

in court and seek appropriate relief to enforce compliance with the

law and to receive actual damages if a right is violated. There is no

administrave complaint process but if a lawyer helps le and win a

case, the court may award fees to pay for the aorney and other legal

costs.

The Cook County Human Rights Ordinance was enacted in 1993 to hear

complaints of discriminaon in employment, public accommodaons,

housing, credit transacons, and Cook County services or contracts in

Cook County. The Ordinance prohibits discriminaon when it is based

upon:

• housing status (not having xed residence or having lived in public

housing or shelters)

• source of income (such as a housing subsidy like a voucher)

• race, color, ancestry or naonal origin

• sex, sexual orientaon or gender identy

• age (40 yrs old or older)

• religion

• disability

• marital status or parental status

• military discharge status.

The Cook County Commission on Human Rights enforces the Ordinance

and hears complaints; can order relief to ensure compliance and can

provide compensatory and punive damages plus aorney’s fees and

costs.

Connuum of Care (CoC)

If you need services to prevent homelessness, you should contact your

local CoC. Most homeless services, interim housing and emergency

overnight shelters are organized by the local CoC. Even some permanent

supporve housing programs (explained above) are organized by the

local CoC. There are some homeless programs or services that are not

organized through the CoC, though the CoC is usually aware of those

programs as well. While personnel involved in their local CoC may

not actually provide services, they usually know who does. Contact

informaon for your local CoC is provided below for the purpose of

obtaining informaon on services provided in your area.

The name of each CoC, their service area, contact informaon to request

homeless services (if any) and a phone number is provided.

Central Illinois Connuum of Care

Central and Eastern Illinois

Karen Zangerle, Path Crisis Center: 309-834-0244

Chicago CoC

Call 311, when prompted, hit the 4 buon for “short term help.”

Cook County CoC (Does not include Chicago)

Call 877-426-6515

Decatur CoC

Macon County

Camille Cochran, Homeward Bound: 217-362-7700 x3014

DeKalb CoC

Sue Guio, City of DeKalb: 815-748-2060

DuPage CoC

DuPage County Human Services: (630) 407-6500 (press 0)

Heartland CoC

Sangamon County

Tonya Payne/Mia Woods, Chrisan Ministries: 217-753-3939

Homeless Acon Council CoC

St. Clair County

Beverly Evansco, Homeless Acon Council: 618-277-6790 x3330

Joliet/Will CoC

Todd Fuller, Will Co. Center for Community Concerns: 815-722-0722

Kane County CoC

Northern Kane County, Community Crisis Center: 847-697-2380

Central Kane County, Lazarus House, 630-587-2144

Southern Kane County, PADS: 630-897-2165

Lake County CoC

Rob Anthony, Lake County Development & Planning: 847-377-2475

Madison County CoC

Walter Hunter, Madison Co Community Development: 618-296-5513

McHenry County CoC

Call 311, for “emergency shelter.”

Northwestern CoC

Northwestern counes in Illinois

Ron Lundt, Project Now: 309-793-6391 x108

Peoria Area Homeless Consorum

Fulton, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford Counes

Pam Schubach , YMCA of Peoria: 309-685-7655

Rockford/Winnebago CoC

City of Rockford: 844-710-6919

South Central CoC

Center part of Illinois, south of Springeld

Paul White: CEFS Economic Opportunity: 217-342-2193 x121

Southern CoC (Southern Illinois)

Camille Doris, Women’s Center: 618-529-2324 x231

Urbana/Champaign CoC

Dept. of Community Dev Services: Jenelle Hardy, 217-384-2447 or

Ma Rajc 217-384-2306 x409

West Central CoC

Salvaon Army-Quincy: 217-222-8655

Shelters

Shelters exist in dierent forms and serve dierent populaons which

may include:

• Youth

• Single individuals

• Families

• Ex-Oenders

• Vicms of domesc violence

Emergency Shelters: Some shelters are emergency shelters that are

open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Usually, you can go directly to

a shelter. Emergency shelters provide an immediate place to stay, eat,

and sleep. The length of stay varies by facility, but it is generally short-

term. Some emergency shelters are open only at night and guests must

leave in the morning. Some emergency shelters are part of a network of

shelters and are only open one day each week. Guests at these shelters

must leave every morning and go to a nearby city to stay in a shelter the

next night. Call your CoC or visit this website to nd a shelter in your

area:

hp://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/illinois/homeless/

shelters/sheltertable

Transional Shelters: Transional shelters allow persons to stay in

their program for up to twelve months. Guests work closely with a

case manager who helps them connect with services they need to gain

stability, locate permanent housing and ensure they have the means to

keep that housing. The best way to locate an interim housing opon is to

contact your CoC.

Re-Entry Programs: Persons transioning out of the prison systems

may consider a transional group home. Many of these opons are

for people who struggle with substance abuse. You can nd a list of

these housing opons and other services (including help obtaining

employment) at:

hp://www.reentryillinois.net/

Homeless Youth Agencies

The State of Illinois provides services to help youth who are homeless

or to prevent youth from becoming homeless. These services include

shelter, transional living programs and outreach. Youth ages 14-20 can

access services such as

• Case management

• Permanent or temporary place to live

• Food

• Clothing

• Advocacy

• Outreach

• Life skills training

• Educaon

• Job Services

To nd a provider near you, go to:

hp://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=29729

The Youth Housing Assistance Program (YHAP):

YHAP assists youth obtain or maintain adequate housing. The program is

oered by DCFS for youth who have aged out of DCFS care or are within

6 months of aging out of care and have not yet turned 21. The program

can also serve some youth who were adopted (or placed in a subsidized

guardianship home) aer their 16

birthday. The program provides:

• Housing advocacy to help the youth locate and maintain housing.

• Cash assistance may be authorized to help pay for items necessary

to secure and maintain housing that the youth cannot aord.

• A paral housing subsidy for youth who have aged out of care but

have not yet turned 21.

For more informaon, on YHAP, youth who were once in DCFS care

should contact the YHAP Coordinator at 312-328-2159. You can nd

informaon on YHAP and other services DCFS oers to youth aging out

of care at:

hps://www.illinois.gov/dcfs/brighterfutures/independence/

Documents/GetGoaldHandbook.pdf

THE HOUSING SEARCH

The Basics

There are dierent ways to begin your housing search. It is always a

good idea to begin by talking to people you know to nd out what they

know. Local newspapers can also be a helpful place to start. Some prefer

to begin their search on the internet, as this method allows them to

consider many apartments in a relavely short me. A word of cauon:

some posngs may be for units that have already been rented and are

used by landlords to lease other, perhaps less desirable, units.

If you know of a specic area in which you’d like to live, you may decide

to walk through the neighborhood in search of “For Rent” signs. Bring

a pen and paper so you can write down contact informaon and the

addresses of apartments for rent. Call them later when you’re in a quiet

locaon.

Craigslist.org and Padmapper.com are popular websites for conducng

housing searches. Padmapper.com searches lisngs from various

websites, including Craigslist, and provides a map view and street view

of the available apartments. Ilhousingsearch.org is another useful

online tool provided by Illinois Housing Development Authority, Illinois

Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Illinois Department

of Human Services, and Illinois Department on Aging. This website

provides free, detailed informaon on available housing and resources,

helpful tools for renters such as aordability calculator, rental checklist

and lists of renter rights and responsibilies IL Housing Search’s services

can also be accessed through a toll-free, bilingual call center at

877-428-8844. It is also available at: hp://www.ilhousingsearch.org/

Nearly all these websites allow users to set search criteria, such as

a maximum rent amount, so you can narrow down your search to

apartments within your price range. As you idenfy apartments that

t your needs, you can begin contacng landlords. Depending on

the website you use, you may want to idenfy desirable apartments.

When you contact landlords you should ask some quesons (see

list of quesons below) to determine whether or not to schedule a

walk-through. If the residence is sll an opon, schedule a me that’s

convenient for the landlord to show you the apartment.

Picking the Right Neighborhood

An important consideraon when searching for apartments is locaon.

If an apartment is close to your place of employment, transportaon,

friends, and other necessies such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and

laundry mats, you’ll save both money and me. There are dierent ways

to determine whether or not an apartment is conveniently located: you

can ask landlords how close the building is to these services; you can

locate the residence on Google Maps and explore the neighborhood.

Many online searches will provide a “walkability” score which is based

on the residence’s proximity to transit, grocery stores, and shopping.

Remember that you can change the inside of an apartment and you can

nd dierent apartments for the same price. Locaon is one thing you

cannot change about an apartment, so if you are able to choose the

neighborhood you live in, it is a good idea to consider these factors.

House Searching with Pets

While your housing search opons are more narrow, there are sll many

opons for pet-friendly living. Most housing search databases include an

advanced search opon so your searches t your needs.

Make sure you have a conversaon with the landlord about pets in a

casual, non-threatening way and let them know if you have room in your

budget for an extra monthly fee. Give any informaon you can about

the health of your pet. Ask for a trial period. Landlords want as much

proof as they can get (leer from a veterinarian or previous landlord).

Be honest and friendly. Do not, under any circumstances, sneak in a pet.

It is extremely rude and disrespecul, can get you evicted or even sued,

and will reect very negavely on your future housing searches.

Fair Housing Act (An-Discriminaon)

State and federal law prohibit housing discriminaon based on race,

color, naonal origin, religion, sex (including sexual harassment), family

size or disability. State law also prohibits discriminaon based on sexual

orientaon (including gender identy), marital status, military status,

and age (40 and over). In Cook County, landlords can’t discriminate

against source of income (including housing choice voucher holders)

either. If you feel that your civil rights have been violated, you can le a

complaint on the HUD website or at this number: 800-765-9372. You can

also contact the Illinois Department of Human Rights by calling

312-814-6229 or emailing [email protected].

If you prefer to watch videos on fair housing, you can nd them at this

website:

hps://www.illinois.gov/dhr/lingacharge/pages/fair_housing_videos.aspx

Calling the Landlord

Once you have idened potenal units, you will begin to call landlords.

Before calling a landlord, create a list with important quesons that can

be answered over the phone. If you have access to a printer, you may

want to print a list of quesons for easy reference. Don’t be afraid to ask

quesons over the phone. If you ask the right quesons, it can reduce

the number of units you will actually view. Neither you, nor the landlord

will want to spend me on a unit you are not interested in renng.

Quesons that can be answered over the phone include:

• How much is the rent?

• What ulies are included in the rent (cooking gas, electricity, heat,

water, cable TV and internet)?

• Do you charge an applicaon fee, a move in fee and/or a security

deposit and how much?

• How many rooms/bedrooms?

• Do you accept pets?

• Does the unit come with kitchen appliances?

• Is there a washer and dryer in the building and, if so, how much

does it cost?

• Can I smoke in the unit?

• Does the unit come with cable or internet? If so, is there an

addional fee?

Interacng with a Potenal Landlord

You know the saying “it’s all about rst impressions?” The purpose of

meeng a potenal landlord is for the landlord to size you up. He or she

is looking for clues to who you are. The most obvious clue is what you

are wearing and how you look. Much of the same advice that applies to

job interviews also applies to any interacons with a potenal landlord

(see our advice in the “Job Seeking Advice” secon. Dress as if you are

trying to impress your grandmother. Wear clean clothes that will keep

you fully covered, and groom your hair and nails as well.

Other important points:

•

Be respecul and courteous

•

be exible about where and when you can meet

•

Arrive on me when scheduling a tour of a residence

•

Come prepared with documents and quesons

Housing Resume

It is also a good idea to come prepared with a housing resume, which

is a list of the past three addresses you have rented from and the

name, address and phone number of your previous landlords. Some

prospecve landlords ask for references, so it is good to be prepared

with this informaon as well. Very few people have this informaon

when applying for housing so you will impress the landlord.

Inspecng a Neighborhood

Renters may nd that the neighborhood is just as important as the

unit. You may want to visit the neighborhood at night to make sure that

you feel safe in the new neighborhood. Other things to consider when

inspecng a neighborhood are:

• Accessibility to public transportaon, if needed

• Parking availability (both during the day and the night)

• How close the unit is to stores, schools and other places you visit.

Inspecng an Apartment

When you are deciding on an apartment, always view the actual

unit you will be renng before you sign a lease. Fill out an inspecon

checklist while you are in the apartment. This will help you decide if

you want to rent the apartment. You can also ask the landlord to x any

damages before you move in.

Your landlord has a legal responsibility to make necessary repairs

in order to keep the rental property t to live in. Check with your

municipality for specic laws in your area.

The following checklist will let you and your landlord know what living

condions are up to standard:

Appliances

• Oven and stove top burners should ignite and turn o properly.

• You should not smell gas around the stove at any me.

• Refrigerator should be between 33-40 degrees and freezer should

freeze water

Common Areas

• Stairs and porches should be safe and in good repair, properly lit at

all mes, and free of cluer.

• Trash bins should be covered.

• Public areas should have their own ulity meters paid for by the

landlord.

Electricity

• Outlets should not make a crackling, sizzling, or buzzing sound.

• Outlets and light switch face plates should not be hot or discolored.

• Outlets, light switches, and fuse boxes should be covered.

• Electrical wiring should not be exposed.

• There should be a separate electric meter for every apartment and

one for the common areas.

Exits

• All bedrooms should have a window large enough to t through to

escape a re.

• There should be at least two exits from the building in case one is

blocked in a re.

Heang

• Heang should be adequate without a space heater.

• Radiators should be covered and should not leak.

• Walls and ceiling near furnace or chimney should not be warm.

• If you are paying for your own heat, you should have access to your

own furnace and your own ulity meters.

Health and Safety

• A working smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector should be

present in every level of the building.

• There should be no sign of insects or rodents. Check how frequently

the building is exterminated and if this is covered in your lease.

• There should be no signs of mold or mildew.

• There should be no lead-based paint in the building and you should

receive a disclosure statement from the landlord when you sign your

lease.

Plumbing

• Hot and cold running water faucets should work.

• Toilet should ush properly and not move when you sit on it. If it

does, it may need to be resealed.

• The sinks, bathtubs, and showers should not leak.

• Bathrooms should have a window or a vent fan.

• The unit should not have sewer odor.

• If you are paying for your own hot water, you should have access to

your own hot water heater and your own ulity meters.

Security

• There should be deadbolt locks on doors to the unit that can be

opened with a key from outside and by a turn-piece from the

interior.

Walls, Floors, Ceilings and Windows

• There should be no large cracks or holes in the walls.

• There should be no signs of water damage seeping through the

walls, oors, and ceilings.

• Floors should not have weak spots.

• Windows should close snuggly – you should not feel wind or a

breeze coming through when closed.

If any of these items are not in order, you can ask your landlord to

make these repairs. It is best to make a wrien, dated request. If

your prospecve landlord promises to make repairs, ask for a wrien

agreement signed by your prospecve landlord. These repairs should be

made before you move in.

If and when you decide on an apartment, get the landlord’s phone

number and someone to call in emergencies.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

What shows up?

Background checks can vary greatly in terms of detail and depth. Some

might simply verify an applicant’s Social Security number. Others might

be so extensive as to provide a detailed account of the applicant’s

history and acquaintances. The following informaon may be included in

a background check:

•

Driving records and vehicle registraon

•

Credit records

•

Evicon Records – Cannot be sealed/expunged unless foreclosure

•

Criminal records –

•

Social Security number

•

Bankruptcy and other court records

•

Character references

•

Previous landlords and past employers

•

Military records

•

Drug test records

•

Incarceraon records

•

Sex oender lists

•

Pay stub records

Your landlord can obtain your medical records only with your signed

consent. It should never have any eect on your ability to obtain

housing. Be very wary of a landlord who requests medical informaon. If

you feel that you have been denied housing for a reason that has to do

with medical condion, contact an aorney.

While the inclusion of much of this informaon will depend on the

parcular background check, it should be noted that many landlords will

also conduct a credit check. See informaon on credit checks, under the

nancial planning secon, later in this handbook.

How to Get a Criminal Record Expunged or Sealed

If you have ever been arrested, especially if you were not guilty, consider

expungement or sealing of your records. Expungement will erase the

charge, as if the charge never happened. Sealing a record will keep it

condenal. Persons who have their record expunged may be more

successful searching for housing and employment.

A peon must be led in the county where you were arrested or where

the charge was brought. It takes about 60 days for the record to get

expunged. The law has changed so you can get your record expunged

without an aorney, but some lawyers are willing to represent you

at no charge or low cost. You can view a list of these aorneys and

organizaons at:

hp://www.illinois.gov/osad/Expungement/AppPages/LegalServices.

aspx

The Legal Assistance Foundaon has walk-in hours at the Cook County

Juvenile Center, 1100 South Hamilton Avenue in Chicago. Contact them

for their walk-in days and mes at 312-229-6359.

If you were once in DCFS custody, in Cook County, you can also reach out

to the Cook County Oce of the Public Guardian if they represented you

while you were under DCFS guardianship. Call the Oce of the Public

Guardian at 312-433-4300. If you do not know if you were represented

by this oce call the same number and ask them to check.

If You Have a Criminal Record

If you have a criminal record ask ahead of me “what type of checks

do you require before renng a unit?” If a criminal background check

is menoned, try to approach the issue before the land lord nds

out. Explain your situaon and try to add a human element to the

conversaon. Being honest has its perks.

Sex Oenders and Manufacturers of Methamphetamines

Many supporve housing programs are required to reject sex oenders

and persons convicted or manufacturing methamphetamine. A Sex

Oender is a person who has been convicted of a sex crime or a person

who currently has to register in any way with a sex oender database

or the local police department. Persons convicted of manufacturing

methamphetamine are denied because the process of making

methamphetamines creates hazardous fumes and can cause a re. For

this reason, persons who have been convicted of arson are also oen

denied by supporve housing providers.

Credit Reports

A credit report is a record of your credit history. When you take out a

loan or open a credit card account, a credit bureau keeps track of your

credit and payment informaon. This informaon is used to create

a credit score (i.e., a numerical representaon of the amount of risk

you pose to lenders). Paying your bills on me, liming the amount of

money you borrow, and otherwise being a responsible borrower will

help you get a higher credit score. This means banks will be more willing

to give you low interest rates on credit cards and loans. Landlords also

oen look at your credit score when determining if they want to rent to

you. These landlords assume that if you have a good credit score, you

will be a responsible tenant and will pay your rent on me.

Credit scores range from 300 to 850, but anything higher than 700

is usually considered a good credit score. Credit card companies and

employers may also check your credit. A free credit report can be

obtained by phone by calling 877-322-8228 or at

hps://www.annualcreditreport.com

You can also contact the three major credit bureaus:

• Equifax (www.equifax.com) at 800-685-1111

• Experian (www.experian.com) at 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)

• Trans Union (www.transunion.com) at 800-916-8800

It should also be noted that if someone’s credit rang is checked

frequently, it will suer with each addional check. For this reason,

you might want to access your own credit score. Every individual is

allowed to access their credit score for free once a year. If you obtain

your own credit score you should make mulple copies of it. You can

then provide that informaon to prospecve landlords and they can tell

you immediately if your credit score is too low for them to rent to you

without doing their own credit check and further hurng your score.

When you access your credit report, review your outstanding debts.

Highlight any debts that you do not recognize. They may or may not be

fraudulent. Many lenders and companies will pass along outstanding

bills to collecon agencies, so the debt informaon listed might relate

to that company and explain why you don’t recognize it. You can contact

the company listed on your credit report or call the credit bureau to nd

out the reason for the charge. If you sll can’t recall the debt(s), they

may be fraudulent.

Dealing with a Poor Credit History

There are sll ways to nd an apartment, even if you have a low credit

score. Many landlords do not ask to run a credit report. Others are

willing to rent to tenants with a low credit score if the tenant provides

a larger security deposit. If you are able to save enough money for a

large security deposit, you can ask if this would be an opon. Remember

that by demonstrang your low credit score honestly and building a

relaonship with a landlord, it can encourage the prospecve landlord

to rent to you.

In the long-term, you should try to pay o debts listed on your credit

report as soon as you’re able to. Unpaid debts can connue to hurt you

throughout your life. Your credit report will include contact informaon

for making payments on these debts. Most items that hurt your credit

score will be wiped o aer seven years.

Check out your Landlord and Management Company’s Credit

When you are choosing an apartment, do an internet search of the

landlord to nd out if there have been any problems or complaints

in the past. This will help you avoid scams or geng ripped o. Look

for complaints from other tenants that have been posted or lawsuits

that have been taken against the landlord or management company.

Avoiding landlords or management companies with many complaints

lodged against them or that are scamming tenants will help you save

money and choose the best apartment for you. You can also check your

landlord’s credibility through the following resources:

Beer Business Bureau Chicago - hp://chicago.bbb.org/

Review My Landlord - hp://www.reviewmylandlord.com/

Ulity Fraud and Identy The

When you handle ulies, either you or your roommate should call to

set up, manage, or terminate your service. Do not give permission to

anyone to do this for you. Set up your ulies at least a week before you

move in or leave. You can avoid a lot of possible scams by controlling

your informaon.

The most frequent kind of ulity fraud is a fake account open in your

name. Oen criminals just need a few pieces of informaon like your

name, phone number and address to open an account. These accounts

show on your credit report if they are not paid and can hurt your credit

score.

Another real threat is from the “caller”. You will get a phone call where

the “company” threatens to shut o your service if you do not pay

immediately. Real ulity companies nofy you by mail (or email if you

receive bills electronically). Other callers will ask if you are interested

in switching your service. Do not give them informaon. If you are

interested in switching or think you may have a problem with overdue

payments, call the ulity company directly when you hang up, even if

the caller has your ulity company’s ID. Scammers, especially in the

modern world, are clever and able to fake their identy with technology.

High charges to exisng ulies accounts are also a red ag. If you don’t

feel right about it, there is a reason.

If you suspect that you are a vicm of ulity fraud, contact the ulity

provider immediately. These companies will want proof of your identy

and current service in order to believe you are telling the truth. The

company may also want to see that you have led a police report. Keep

a record of the names of persons with whom you speak. Be polite. If

necessary, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 877-438-4338. You

can also call the credit bureaus (see the credit report secon above).

Once you’ve noed one of the three credit bureaus of the identy

the, they will contact the other two agencies for you. When

communicang with these agencies, report that someone is using your

idenfying informaon without your authorizaon to obtain credit

fraudulently in your name. Request that your le be agged with a

“Fraud Alert” and ask that this alert be extended for seven years. Also,

ask to add a “vicm’s statement” to your credit report. You’ll need to be

able to cite specic charges that were made without your permission, so

it will be helpful to have a copy of your credit history handy when you

report identy the. Once you’ve made this statement, request a copy

of the vicm’s statement for your records and store it with your credit

report.

You have the right to queson and/or dispute any ulity account without

having to le a formal identy the report. If you see something on

your credit report, or on your current ulity account, contact the ulity

company and ask them to specify the account number, the address, and

the dates of service for the debt. It is a good idea to ask them to send it

to you in wring as well. Once you have this informaon, you can beer

decide how to proceed. If the service was iniated before you turned

18, the ulity cannot collect from you and you cannot be forced to le

an identy the report if you do not want to. If the ulity company is

not cooperang with your requests, you can call the Illinois Commerce

Commission at 800-524-0795 or the Cizens Ulity Board at

800-669-5556 to le a complaint and get help resolving the problem.

SIGNING A LEASE

Are you ready to sign a lease? MTO has an app for that. Find it at:

hp://www.tenants-rights.org/leases-faq/

Wrien Lease

A lease is a legal arrangement between you and a landlord that outlines

all the details of your relaonship and responsibilies to each other. The

lease can be wrien or oral, but a wrien lease clearly states the policies

to which you and your landlord agree. You can take the lease home with

you and have a knowledgeable person look it over for you. You can also

negoate the terms of the lease with the landlord. Make sure that both

you and the landlord inial any changes made to the lease.

Make sure that:

• Both you and the landlord sign the lease and are in agreement as

to the current condions and damages in the apartment. If your

landlord agreed to repair any damages, include a compleon date.

• You don’t leave any blank spaces on the lease. If an item does not

apply to you, write “not applicable” or “NA” in the blank space.

• Gas and electric service is described in the lease. Under Illinois law,

a tenant is only responsible for gas and electric service inside their

own apartment, unless otherwise specied on the lease. If the

landlord tells you verbally that gas or electricity is included in the

rent, it must say that on your lease for your protecon. Likewise,

the landlord cannot expect you to pay for gas or electricity for the

common areas or for other units in the building unless it is wrien

into your lease with your consent.

•

List everyone living in the unit in the lease.

•

The lease clearly states joint responsibilies (if you are living with a

roommate) including rental fees for each person.

Somemes illegal acvies are wrien into a lease. In Illinois, Illegal

items in a lease are not enforceable by law even if you have signed the

lease. Such items may include:

• Giving up any of your rights.

• Let your landlord le an evicon against you without rst serving a

terminaon noce and a summons to appear in court.

• Give up your right to a jury trial if your landlord les an evicon.

• Pay for your landlord’s aorney fees.

You can sue the landlord if they try to enforce illegal parts of your lease.

Some cies have addional laws protecng tenants (such as limits on

late fees). Contact a legal aid or tenant’s rights agency if you believe

your lease contains illegal language.

Insist that your landlord give you a nal signed copy of the lease.

Note: Rent cannot be increased in a wrien lease.

Remember:

Your lease is sll in eect, even if you have a dispute with your landlord.

Therefore, don’t stop paying rent (unless you have been advised to stop

by an aorney). You may feel that you have cause to stop paying rent

but many tenants who are evicted also thought that they had cause to

stop paying rent. If you believe you have reason to withhold rent, talk to

a lawyer.

Oral Lease

If you pay rent but have not signed a wrien lease then you and your

landlord have an oral lease. Generally, these agreements are from

month-to-month (week-to-week are very rare). The rental period begins

on the day your rent is due. You are not bound for a certain amount of

me aer this period. An oral lease on a month-to-month unit allows

you to move out with just a one month’s noce.

On the other hand, that same oral lease allows the landlord to refuse to

connue to rent to you with one month noce. Addionally, a landlord

can increase the rent with a wrien leer giving you a full rental period’s

noce. The landlord may also add rules that you may not like. Many

tenants feel that they have a lot less power if they do not have a wrien

lease. You are probably more stable in your housing if you have a wrien

lease.

MOVING IN

Before you move into your new apartment, you should do another

inspecon to document any damages to the apartment that were there

before your lease began. Squared Away Chicago is a useful tool to make

this process easier, quicker, and visual for you and the landlord. This

way, you will not be held liable for these damages when you move out.

This is especially true if the rst me you viewed the unit someone was

sll living there. Use an inspecon checklist to make sure you check

everything. Take pictures of any damages.

Show your new landlord your completed inspecon checklist and

pictures, and ask the landlord to sign the checklist to acknowledge that

you will not be charged for these damages when you move out. Your

landlord may be happy to sign the checklist and ask for a copy since

it will show that you are responsible for any damages that occurred

aer you moved into the unit. Make a copy of the checklist for your

landlord, and keep one for your records. If your landlord will not sign the

inspecon checklist, send your landlord a copy and mail yourself a copy

(and don’t open the envelope unl you are ready to move) and bring

someone to sign o the checklist who is not in your immediate family.

Packing and Moving Your Belongings

You will need lots of boxes. Grocery stores oen have boxes they throw

away and they will give them to you for free. As menoned in the

nancial planning secon of this handbook (see below), consider the

costs of moving before you move. Ulize tools online that can help you

understand what costs you will have. Ask friends and family to help you

move or provide transportaon. Friends are oen willing to help if you

oer pizza.

Ulies

It is important to transfer all ulies for which you are responsible to

your name as soon as you move into the apartment. This will make

sure that any usage prior to your move in date will be charged to your

landlord and not to you. Check the rst bill that you get for your new

apartment to make sure that your service start date matches your move

in date, and keep a copy of that bill for your records.

Furnishing Your Apartment/Essenal Supplies

When you are thinking about your budget, remember all the items

you will have to get for your new apartment. You can get great deals

by shopping at discount and second- hand stores like Goodwill or the

Salvaon Army.

Apartment Supplies

Bathroom supplies: Tooth brush, shampoo, soap, toilet brush, toilet

paper, ssues, hamper, towels, shower curtain,

mats for oor and tub, waste basket.

Bedroom: Pillow, blankets, sheets, pillow case, lamp,

hangers.

Cleaning Products All purpose cleaner, vacuum, laundry detergent,

rags, carpet cleaner, mop, broom, dust pan,

sponges, bucket.

Food basics: Salt, pepper, pasta, rice, cereal, oil, sugar.

Food Preparaon: Measuring cup, spatula, can opener, cung

knife, cung board, oven mi, mixing bowl,

baking pan/sheet, pot with lid, frying pan.

Food Storage: Aluminum foil, plasc bags, plasc containers.

For Eang: Plates, cups, glasses, bowls, atware.

Furniture: Bed, dresser, couch, dinee set, coee table.

General supplies: Recycling bin, waste basket, light bulbs, rst aid

kit.

Roommates and Guests

Roommates can save money by sharing rent and other expenses.

They can also burn you. You are responsible for the rent even if your

roommate does not pay. It is dicult to try to take someone to court

over rent money that may be owed to you. Friendships are oen lost

when people move in together. Perhaps the worst situaon is renng

a room to someone you don’t know. If you can aord to rent a unit

without a roommate, you may be glad you did.

On the other hand, sharing an apartment with roommates can be

very cost eecve. If living with a roommate keeps you from living in a

shelter, you likely will prefer living with a roommate in your apartment,

rather than live with a large number of roommates in a shelter.

Roommates can also have good relaonships that could last the rest of

your life.

Choosing a Roommate

It’s always best to choose a person you already know. If you don’t know

a person who wants to be your roommate, it is helpful if a close friend

or family member can vouch for them. If you need a roommate and

cannot choose someone a friend knows, you need to act like a landlord:

do a careful background check. Find out as much informaon as you can

about a potenal roommate. This check is not an invasion of privacy. You

will be creang a business contract with that person. This involves your

money, your me, and your life. You can:

•

Have your roommate go to one of those free credit check websites

(discussed above) to determine their credit.

•

Ask to see a copy of a pay stub.

•

Ask friends, co-workers or acquaintances quesons about the

potenal roommate. (Be concerned if anyone reports that the

person has a violent temper, mistreats animals, uses drugs, drinks in

excess or is dishonest.)

•

Check references, especially persons who are not friends with the

potenal roommate (like a previous landlord).

•

Check with a district aorney’s oce, the sheri, or the police

department. Also check driving records and court records for

bankruptcy lings or criminal acvity.

•

Interview the person carefully. Ask for references, place of

employment and banking, date of birth, last two addresses.

•

Verify place of employment.

Handling Conict

No maer how roommates are chosen, communicaon is important. It’s

helpful to talk together about personal tolerance levels. Would you be

able to live with someone who:

•

Needs loud music to go to sleep?

•

Invites sex partners for overnights?

•

Doesn’t like or share housework?

•

Uses drugs?

•

Eats your food and snacks?

•

Likes to party oen?

Consider using a compability checklist and talk together before you

share your space. Compromises can be reached before small problems

become big issues. Talk about:

•

Personality dierences and values

•

Housekeeping atudes

•

How space and other resources will be shared (food, television,

supplies, etc.)

•

Sleeping habits

•

Social habits

•

Overnight guests

We all laugh at the roommate agreement on television but wrien

roommate agreements are a helpful way to avoid future conict. Decide

whose name will be on which ulity bills. Discuss what happens if

someone moves out before the lease is up. Answering these quesons

in advance can prevent a lot of arguments. You can Google “roommate

agreement” and nd a number of example roommate agreements that

you can use. You can also visit:

hp://templatelab.com/roommate-agreement/

Protect yourself from your roommate. Do not give condenal

informaon to your roommate. Never give your roommate your social

security number. Be very careful about giving other informaon,

including your password to your computer. Make sure you have a safe

place to store valuables. If you can’t lock the door to your room, buy a

safe to store your valuables.

Guest Policies

Tenants are responsible for guests’ behavior: Only invite to your

residence those whom you can trust to behave in a respecul manner.

If your guests do something illegal or are even too loud, you can be held

responsible for their acons which may result in you being arrested or

losing your home.

How to get people to leave who are no longer welcome: Begin by

asking them politely. You can give an excuse, if necessary: “my landlord

has a no guest policy.” If they refuse to leave, tell them you’re serious

and they will have to leave your home. If they sll refuse to leave, call

the police. This may seem cold, but, ulmately, their behavior may

threaten your safety and your access to housing.

Renng an Apartment with Children

It is important to baby-proof on a regular basis. As your child grows,

he or she will nd more areas or objects to explore, which can be

dangerous.

• Arrange furniture so the heaviest things are near the boom – it

will prevent bookcases and other appliances from falling over. Ask

your landlord if you are allowed to drill small holes to anchor your

furniture to the wall.

• Arrange furniture so children cannot get to plugs, outlets, or lamps.

• Purchase outlet covers for any outlets you cannot cover with

furniture.

• Put rounded cushions on sharp table corners to prevent injury.

• Purchase a gate that secures to the wall that you can easily open

and close but your baby cannot get to dangerous places, like stairs.

• Curtains and cords are easy ways for children to get trapped or hurt.

Move them out of the way or e them up.

• Make sure windows only open a safe amount so your child will not

fall out. Purchase window locks. Window screens are not enough to

prevent a fall.

• Put a safety lock on the cabinets that contain household items that

could be poisonous.

• Keep the Poison Control Hotline (800-222-1222) and the local

hotline numbers in a place you can easily nd them.

• Make sure you have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.

• Make sure you have a lock on your toilet, as kids can fall in and can

drown in very lile water.

• Have a rst aid kit available.

• Put razors, scissors and other sharp objects out of the baby’s reach

as well as any medicaons, pills and vitamins.

• Store make up, hair appliances, shaving gel, shampoo, soap, etc.

away from your child.

• Turn your water heater down! Not only does it save you money it is

beer for your baby’s skin.

It is easy to nd helpful ps by googling “baby proof your home.”

TENANTS’ RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Do you need informaon on tenant’s rights and responsibilies? MTO

has an app for that. Find it at:

hp://www.tenants-rights.org/tenant-responsibilies-faq/

Tenant is a word for someone who lives on property owned by a

landlord. As a tenant:

•

You should demand a wrien lease to avoid future

misunderstandings with your landlord.

•

You must pay your rent on me.

•

You must keep the rental unit clean and undamaged.

•

You are responsible for any damages beyond normal wear and tear.

•

You must pay the ulity bill if the lease makes you responsible.

•

You may not alter the rental unit (for example, change the wall

color) without your landlord’s approval.

•

You must give wrien noce when you intend to move. Usually, a

30-day noce is sucient.

•

The Illinois Retaliatory Evicon Act prohibits your landlord from

evicng you for complaining to any governmental authority (housing

inspector, human rights commission, etc.). Tenants in Chicago are

also protected against retaliaon for request for repairs, joining a

tenant union, wring a 14 day leer, or taking advantage of any

rights they have under the Chicago Residenal Landlord Tenant

Ordinance.

There are State laws that protect Illinois tenants. Some of these

protecons are explained below. A few cies have passed their own

laws:

For Champaign/Urbana specic tenants’ rights, visit:

hps://tenantunion.illinois.edu/urbanalandlordordinance.html

For Chicago-specic tenants’ rights, visit:

hp://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/rents_right.

html

For Evanston specic tenants’ rights, visit:

hp://www.cityofevanston.org/assets/

ResidenalLandlordandTenantOrdinance.pdf

Pay Rent on Time

Do whatever you can to pay rent on me. Not paying your rent on me

can result in late fees and, in the worst-case scenario, evicon. Make

sure you understand how rent is to be paid to your landlord prior to the

start of the lease.

If, for some reason, you think you will be unable to pay your landlord

on me, see if you can come to some sort of agreement (i.e. you’ll pay

a certain amount on the due date, and will pay the remainder by a

specied date). If you do reach such an agreement with your landlord,

make sure you get this agreement in wring, dated, and signed in order

to protect yourself. If you’re unable to reach an agreement with your

landlord, refer to the “Homeless Assistance Services” in this handbook.

You may be able to receive assistance. Remember to be proacve before

the situaon gets out of control. Begin making arrangements with your

landlord or start the process of obtaining nancial assistance services as

soon as it becomes clear that you won’t be able to pay rent on me. It is

easier to handle a problem while it is sll small. If you ignore a problem

too long, it will likely become unmanageable.

Pay Ulies on Time

Depending on your lease, you will most likely be required to pay at least

some of your ulies. Just as it’s important to pay rent on me, paying

ulies on me is imperave. Paying ulies late will result in a late fee,

harm your credit, and may make it dicult for you to transfer service if

you want to move. Some forms of housing assistance can be revoked if

your gas or electricity is disconnected, and some landlords may move to

evict you. In some instances, a gas or electric disconnecon can cause

damage to the landlord’s property - if appliances such as the furnace or

sump pump stop working, frozen pipes or ooding may soon follow and

you could be held responsible for that.

If your budget is ght, pay what you can. Like rent arrears, it is best

to keep the problem from becoming unmanageable. Be proacve in

seeking out any and all nancial assistance on ulity bills and acons to

reduce your energy consumpon! Suggested ulity assistance programs

are under the “Cash Assistance” secon of this handbook.

Keep Your Apartment in Good Condion

According to the Illinois Tenants’ rights and responsibilies, you are

required to keep your unit “clean and undamaged.” Your residence

does not have to be perfect, but you should clean regularly. Throw out

all trash in a clean and safe manner. Use all xtures (such as lights and

ceiling fans) and appliances in a reasonable and safe manner. Not only

is it important to maintain a healthy relaonship with your landlord, but

you can also be evicted for not keeping up with your responsibilies!

Be a Good Neighbor

You can be evicted for excessive noise. You can even be arrested for

disturbing the peace. Almost as important, you may need assistance

from your neighbors from me to me. Having a good relaonship with

your neighbors will likely help you at some point.

Repairs

If you live in the City of Chicago and need repairs to your apartment,

submit a wrien leer to the landlord with a request that the repairs be

made within 14 days. If it is an emergency and can threaten your health,

safety, or the apartment itself ask that the repair be made within 72

hours. If the landlord has not xed the problem aer this point, you can

either (1) hire someone to make the repairs and deduct up to half your

rent with a receipt, (2) reduce your rent to reect the reduced value of

your apartment (but you must connue to pay something!), or (3) in

extreme situaons, break your lease and move out.

Whenever taking an acon that may be against the terms of your lease,

consult an aorney or a tenant’s rights organizaon. Laws vary by

county or city and denions of “threatening your health and safety”

dier from person to person. An aorney can help interpret local laws

and dene these denions.

Sample leer to a landlord requesng repairs:

If your landlord refuses to x something in your apartment, you should

send them a formal leer requesng the repairs. This leer should

include a list of the repairs needed and a deadline for the landlord. If

you can, submit this leer with your rent to ensure that your landlord

has received it. Here is a sample leer:

June 18, 2012

Mrs. Jane Landlord

1234 Main St

Chicago, IL, 66666

Dear Mrs. Landlord,

I am currently renng your apartment at 555 Main St, #1. I spoke with

you two weeks ago about the broken window in my apartment. If you

remember, the window was shaered on June 2

, 2012 by a baseball. The

broken window is a hazard and is making it impossible for me to keep my

apartment cool. Please arrange a me with me within the next 14 days to

have this window replaced. If you do not make the requested repair within

14 days, I will exercise my rights under Secon 5-12-110 of the Chicago

Residenal Landlord Tenant Ordinance by making the repairs myself and

reducing the expenses from my future rent.

Thank you, John Tenant

Not paying rent is another opon, but one that is more risky. State law

does not provide you the right to withhold rent no maer how bad the

place is. Some cies, including Chicago, have ordinances that allow it if

done correctly. Contact an aorney or the local legal aid agency to ask

about such ordinances and what you can do. You run the risk of evicon

if you withhold your rent.

Similar rights are available to tenants living in Evanston or Champaign.

There are some rights available to tenants living in other places in Illinois

provided through the Residenal Tenants Rights to Repair Act. There

are limits to the amount that the tenant can withhold from their rent in

order to make repairs.

Tenants can obtain a ier on the Residenal Tenants Rights to Repair Act

at the following link.

hps://www.illinois.gov/dhr/FilingaCharge/Documents/

ResidenalTenantsRighoRepairAct.pdf

Before making withholding any rent, you should contact a lawyer. This

manual has already provided a number of links to help you obtain

legal advice. Illinois Lawyer Finder provides more informaon on the

Residenal Tenants Rights to Repair Act and can help you nd a lawyer

to assist you at the owing link:

hp://www.illinoislawyernder.com/arcles/you-and-the-law/home/

residenal-tenants-right-to-repair-act

PEST CONTROL

There are many kinds of pest problems, including mice, rats, squirrels,

roaches, ants and the dreaded bed bugs. In rural areas pests can include

raccoons and possums. Most pests come to your unit looking for food.

Keeping your unit clean, a secure lid on your trash, and food in proper

storage may keep most pests from taking over your unit.

General Pest Control

In most cases, your landlord will be responsible for exterminaon to

eliminate pests but there are some excepons. If you are idened as

the cause of the infestaon, the landlord might refuse to exterminate

or will charge you for exterminaon. If the building has roaches and

you are a very bad housekeeper, the landlord might even try to charge

you the cost of exterminang the enre building. With bed bugs, if

you discover them soon aer rst moving in, it’s hard for the landlord

to blame you. But a few months aer you move in, the landlord might

say you brought the bed bugs into the apartment. Given that bed bugs

can be dormant for several months and they can travel on the pants

of workers or people to whom the landlord shows the apartment for

leasing, it’s hard to establish who brought in the bed bugs.

Keep your place clean

Some insects feed of animals or even people (like eas or bedbugs).

Most other insects or rodents need a food source. If roaches or mice

are in your apartment, they have likely found food. Keeping your place

clean is one of the best ways to keep your home insect and rodent free!

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are one of the most common problems in housing. Unlike most

other pest control problems, they are not caused by a lthy apartment.

Even the cleanest resident can get bed bugs. Bed bugs are also very hard

to exterminate. They can live almost a year between feedings.

Signs you have bed bugs:

• Waking up with red bites that are usually in a line or semi-circle

• Small red stains or smears on your sheets, maress, or other

furniture near your bed

• Black spots that look like mold (bed bug droppings)

• Seeing the actual bug (about the size & shape of an apple seed),

eggs, or shed skin. Find a picture at:

www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcbedbugs.htm

What you can do right now:

•

Pull your bed away from the wall

•

Wrap duct tape, scky side out, around the bed legs to keep bed

bugs from climbing up

•

Wash clothes and bedding and put in the dryer on high heat for at

least 20 minutes (heat is very eecve in eliminang bed bugs); do

this for bed linens once a week.

•

Aer removing items from the dryer, store them in plasc bags.

•

Vacuum on a regular basis.

•

Remove items from around the bed.

•

Don’t replace your bed or furniture. The bed bugs will just infest the

new furniture.

•

Buy a bed bug cover for your maress and box spring.

•

Do not buy bug bombs or sprays that claim they can eliminate

bed bugs. They are oen not very eecve and may cause health

problems.

What you should ask your landlord to do:

•

Caulk all cracks and crevices.

•

Steam clean the carpets and upholstered furniture.

•

Exterminate using a licensed exterminator (usually they will use

extreme heat or cold as at least part of the treatment).

•

Explain to the landlord that it is much cheaper to eliminate bed bugs

while they are contained in one apartment, than to wait unl there

is a problem in several (or all) apartments in the building. Bedbugs

are excellent hitchhikers, and move around easily. Treatment is very

expensive and can oen cost more than $1,000.

You can also let others know there is a bed bug problem at your building

by registering at: www.bedbugregistry.com

Bed Bugs in Chicago

In 2013, the City of Chicago was the #1 infested bed bug city in the

country. The City responded by passing an ordinance. As of December

23, 2013 both landlords and tenants have responsibility in controlling

bed bugs. This ordinance is only in the City of Chicago.

Tenant responsibilies in Chicago:

Nofy the landlord in wring of any suspected or known infestaon in

the tenants’ unit, clothing, furniture or personal property within 5 days.

• Nofy the landlord in wring of any recurring or unexplained bites,

sngs or sores suspected to be caused by bed bugs;

• Cooperate with the landlord in the control, treatment, and

eradicaon of bed bugs;

• Grant access at reasonable mes upon reasonable noce for

inspecons and treatments;

• Prepare unit prior to treatment including: cleaning, dusng,

vacuuming; and,

• Properly dispose of personal property that cannot be treated

or cleaned before the pest control services. Dispose of bedding,

clothing, furnishings or other infested materials in sealed and

labeled plasc bags to indicate that it is infested with bed bugs to

prevent further spreading. You may not simply throw infested items

in the trash.

If you live in Chicago and you don’t adhere to this ordinance, the City

could ne you up to $2,000. The tenant is also given certain rights by

this ordinance, such as permission to tesfy in court and seek assistance

from community organizaons or the news media without retaliaon

from the landlord.

Landlord responsibilies in Chicago: The landlord also has

responsibilies which include:

• Supply a tenant starng or renewing a lease with an informaonal

brochure;

• Maintain a wrien record of bed bug control eorts;

• Send a wrien noce to the tenant explaining their responsibilies

before the inspecon;

• Provide pest control services when bed bugs are found by a pest

management professional as many mes as necessary to eliminate

the problem; and,

• Inspect within 10 days and treat, if necessary, the two units on

either side as well as the two units above and below of the infested

unit.

If the landlord does not comply with these mandates they can also be

ned up to $2000. If your landlord is not responsive, call 311 and report

the issue. To obtain a bed bug brochure and obtain more informaon,

visit:

hps://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/cdph/food_env/

NoCrops/6899_8.5x14_bedbug_eng_c_trifold_C.pdf

OTHER HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

Clean Water: Ninety-ve percent of people in rural areas use private

wells. Ask the water ulity company to check the well once a year.

Lead Paint: While lead paint is not as much of an issue as in the past,

1 in 40 children have too much lead in their bodies. That rate is higher

in cies. If your home was built before 1978 your walls and pipes may

contain lead. Dust from lead paint can cause signicant health problems.

Air Quality: Air quality (cigarees, mold, cleaning/home improvement

products, and other factors including cockroach eggs) can make asthma

a lot worse. One in 15 children has asthma and the number of children

with asthma has doubled in the past ten years!

Poisonous Gases: Your landlord is required to have a carbon monoxide

detector in the apartment. Radon is another poisonous gas that can

threaten your health. You can buy a test at most hardware stores. You

can also ask your landlord if the building has been tested. As of 2012, all

landlords in Illinois are required by law to give any new tenant below the

third story of a building a radon disclosure statement.

To learn more about keeping your home health, contact MTO at

773-292-4980, ext. 231 to speak to an organizer. Informaon in this

secon was accessed from their website at:

hp://www.tenants-rights.org/programs/healthy-homes-program/

MOVING OUT

Before you move out, you must pay rent for the last month you live

in the unit unless your lease specically states that you don’t need to

pay your last month’s rent. The security deposit you paid protects the

landlord against damages you caused. If you don’t pay the last month’s

rent, your landlord can take legal acon against you.

Moving Out? MTO has an app for that. Find it at:

www.squaredawaychicago.wikia.com/wiki/Landlord_ps

Oral Leases

You must give your landlord a full rental period’s noce in wring before

moving out. If you rent monthly or weekly, submit the leer when you

pay your last rent. If you fail to give your landlord noce, you may end

up owing more rent. To avoid any miscommunicaon, bring a witness

when you deliver the leer. You can also send it through cered mail if

you think there may be a problem. If your landlord wants you to move,

they have to give you the same amount of noce you would have to give

them. If you do not move out by then, the landlord can le a lawsuit

to have you evicted. For more informaon about evicons, see the

“Evicon” secon, below.

Wrien Leases

Most rental agreements are for 12 months, and you are legally bound to

the lease for the length of me on your lease. If you would like to move

aer the lease is over, you do not need to give noce. It is a good idea,

however, to arrange a walk-through of the apartment with your landlord

aer you have cleaned it based on what the lease says. Take pictures

and take notes on its condion, and ask for a signed copy of the nal

inspecon.

If you nd, for whatever reason, that you want to move out before your

lease is up, your rst step is to try negoang with your landlord. He or

she may be willing to let you break your lease early with a 30-day noce

or a negoated fee. There are limited reasons to break your lease but

these are rare. You should discuss concerns with your unit with your

landlord. If those concerns are not being addressed you may want to

address those concerns with an aorney. Your concerns may or may

not be a legimate reason to take legal acon. Never break your lease

without rst contacng a lawyer, legal advocacy provider or tenant’s

rights organizaon.

Subleng

Subleng is when you nd someone who is willing to move in and

take over your rent payments for the rest of your lease. You are sll

responsible for the rent if the person you sublet to does not make a

payment or if the person you sublet to damages the apartment, unless

the landlord lets you out of the terms in the lease. It is a good idea to

get permission to sublet in wring and work out the condions with

your landlord. You should select someone who you consider to be

responsible and moral.

If you can’t nd a sublet, send your landlord wrien noce so they can

aempt to nd a new tenant. You will sll be responsible for rent if the

landlord cannot nd someone, or if there is a dierence between the

new tenant’s rent and the rent you were paying. But the landlord must

make a “good faith” eort to nd a replacement. Your landlord is not

allowed to prevent subleng. Any aempt to do this in your lease can

be disputed in court.

Whether or not you are able to break your lease early or nd a sublet,

it is not a good idea to “just move out” because landlords can follow

you and sue you for rent. Any acon you take can and will follow you.

Remember to shut o your ulies, leave a forwarding address, and

return your keys to your landlord to prevent more costs.

Fleeing a Domesc Violence Perpetrator

The Illinois Safe Homes Act allows vicms of domesc violence to end

their lease early provided you give wrien noce to your landlord three

days before or aer your leave your residence. You must show there is

a threat by subming medical, court or police evidence or a statement

from a social service agency. If you are in a situaon like this, do not

hesitate to plan for your safety, the law is on your side.

Ulies

Before you move out of an apartment, it is important that you nofy

the ulity company and remove your name on the bill for the last day

you are living there. This will make sure that any usage aer you move

will not be charged to your account. If you are moving somewhere

else where you will need to set up ulies, make sure to call the ulity

company to transfer your account at least a week before moving.

Be sure to review your bills for the old and new address. You should

receive a bill that says “Final Bill” to conrm that your service has been

properly disconnued. Check that bill to make sure the service end

date matches your move out date, and keep a copy of that bill for your

records to guard against any future problems.

EVICTIONS

One of the most important things to know about an evicon is that your

landlord must take you to court and get an order from a judge to evict

you. If your landlord locks you out of your apartment or makes your

apartment uninhabitable by turning o the ulies, your landlord has

illegally locked you out of your unit and you should call the police. More

informaon is provided on illegal lockouts below.

It is also important to know that both you and the landlord share power

in your relaonship. You will hold each other accountable for your

responsibilies. As a tenant, you should know that your behavior can

lead to an evicon. Some of these behaviors are:

• Not paying your rent on me

• Leng people or pets live in the unit if they are not on the lease

• Selling drugs on the property

• Disturbing other tenants

Any mistakes made by the tenant, even with the best of intenons,

could cause them to be evicted. The moment you fear that you might

break your lease, the day you receive a ve-day noce or nd out that

your landlord wants to evict you, get help! Find out more informaon:

Chicago

Metropolitan Tenants Organizaon at: hp://www.tenants-rights.org/

Lawyers Commiee for Beer Housing at: hp://www.lcbh.org/

Northern Illinois – Prairie State Legal at 800-331-0617 or visit:

hp://www.pslegal.org/

Central and Southern Illinois -- Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance

Foundaon at: 877-342-7891 or visit:

hp://www.lollaf.org/

Prevenng Evicon

The best way to prevent an evicon is to follow the terms of your

lease and pay your rent on me every month. You should always ask

for receipts and keep copies of those and any other communicaons

between you and your landlord. If you are unable to pay your rent for

any reason, try talking to your landlord to see if you can work out a

repayment agreement. If you reach an agreement to anything with your

landlord, make sure you get it in wring. Never put o a problem and

hope that it will go away. Problems are much easier to resolve when

they are small.

Overview of the Evicon Process

Before a landlord can le an evicon lawsuit against you, also known

as a “forcible acon,” he or she must rst give you proper wrien

noce. The type of noce required depends on the landlord’s reason for

terminang your tenancy. There are four main types of noce:

• 5 Day Noce: If you did not pay your rent on me

• 10 Day Noce: If you violated the terms of your lease

• 30 Day Noce: If you do not have a lease and live month-to-month

• 90 Day Noce: In some cases, if your landlord has been foreclosed

Five-Day Noce

If you are behind on rent, your landlord can provide a Five-Day Noce, a

piece of paper stang how much rent you owe and asking that you pay

it within ve days. If your rent is not paid within ve days, your landlord

can then le a lawsuit to evict you (if you live in a Chicago Housing

Authority building, the required length of me is 14 days). If you are

able to pay the amount owed in full, do so immediately. Be sure to get

a receipt and bring a witness with you, as they can tesfy later that you

aempted to pay the amount owed. If a landlord refuses to accept rent

payment in this ve day period, contact an aorney immediately.

Paying part of the rent owed may not stop the evicon process. Paral

payments should only be made if a landlord agrees, in wring, to allow

you to pay the rest of what is owed at a later me and not to evict you

for failing to pay the full amount within the 5 day period.

10-Day Noce

If a landlord aempts to evict you for some other lease violaon, he

or she must give you a 10-day noce. If you live in Chicago, you can

aempt to “cure” or x the problem within the 10 days. Once a violaon

has been “cured,” you should send a leer to the landlord explaining

what steps have been taken. This is called a “cure leer” and you should

send it through cered mail and keep a copy. This leer can then be

used in court should a landlord connue with the evicon process.

Aer the Noce Period Has Ended

If a landlord moves forward with the evicon process, you should

contact an aorney immediately, as this will increase your chances of

geng a posive outcome. You can sll avoid an evicon by paying the

full amount of rent that is owed prior to the evicon hearing. However,

the landlord can refuse to accept the rent aer ling for an evicon

hearing. If you are able to pay the full amount, make sure that you pay

with a check or receive a receipt for the amount you paid. You can pay

less than the full amount that is owed but if you do, the landlord can sll

move forward with the evicon.

If you do have a court hearing, make sure you appear in court. If the

landlord did accept the full amount of the rent, you need to prove to the

court the amount paid. Regardless of whether you have an aorney, you

should sll appear in court. Most judges will grant extra me to move if

the tenant shows up in person. When the case has been called, you can

then request a short, one-week connuance in order to obtain a lawyer.

Bring copies of evidence that supports your case (e.g., the lease, rent

receipts, pictures of your apartment, leers you wrote or received from

your landlord witnesses who can tesfy on your behalf, etc.)

Evicon court moves very quickly. Many verdicts are reached within one

minute of the beginning of the hearing. Judges will usually determine

the reason the landlord is seeking evicon and then ask the tenant for

any informaon that refutes that reason. For example, if the tenant did

not pay rent, the judge usually wants to know if you agree with that

statement. Judges are oen not interested in reasons why the tenant

did not pay rent unless the tenant legally withheld rent because of lease

violaons commied by the landlord.

If a tenant loses the case, a judge will somemes postpone an evicon

for a period of 7 to 21 days. They are more likely to give 21 days if you

show up to court. If you need extra me, you can le a moon at the

courthouse. Many evicons include a judgment against the tenant for

money owed. If you pay the landlord aer the evicon hearing, the

landlord can sll proceed with evicon. If the landlord oers to allow

you to stay in the unit if you pay the rent owed, make sure you receive

a signed wrien statement from your landlord that clearly states the

amount that needs to be paid and that you can connue to live in the

unit. Make sure you get a receipt when you pay your landlord.

Your landlord will contact the sheri once the amount of me that the

court provided for you to vacate the unit has elapsed. Only the sheri

can evict a tenant, unless the tenant lives in a CHA building, in which

case the CHA police can evict a tenant. No other individual, including

a landlord, can complete an evicon without the presence of a sheri/

CHA police ocer.

What you need to know:

1. A Landlord cannot evict you without going to court.

2. A 5-day noce means that you have 5 days to pay rent before the

landlord seeks evicon, not before you are evicted.

3. You have the right to request a one week connuance from the

judge to get an aorney.

4. Only the Sheri can evict you aer a court ordered evicon ruling.

5. If you are illegally evicted (locked out) call the police. Then call a

lawyer.

6. Evicons are legal during the winter except for when it is snowing or

less than 15 degrees.

7. An “Order for Possession” is an evicon even if you agree to it with

the landlord or his lawyer and even if you agree to pay the money

you owe.

Handling Illegal Evicons

If a landlord tries to evict you without following the proper legal process,

that is an illegal evicon and you should call the police immediately. You

should inform the responding ocer that you have been illegally locked

out. The ocer should require the landlord to let you back in to your

apartment. If the landlord does not comply, you should ask the ocer

to arrest the landlord for failing to end the lockout pursuant to Special

Police Order 93-12.

Lock-Outs are legal only if:

• You tell your landlord that you are leaving and not coming back.

• Every person in your unit removes their personal belongings and

leaves the apartment for at least 21 days, and no rent is paid.

• Everyone in your household leaves the apartment for at least 32

days, and no rent is paid.

For further advice, contact the tenants’ rights hotline at 773-292-4988

or local legal aid agency. You should also consult an aorney about your

legal opons.

FORECLOSURE

You might not realize but your landlord probably owes money to their

bank on the building where you live. If they stop paying their mortgage,

the bank may take ownership of the building where you live. Many

banks have removed tenants from their home due to the landlord’s

failure to pay their mortgage. This oen occurred shortly aer the 2008

nancial crisis. New laws have been created around the country to help

tenants in this situaon.

If you are being evicted from a rental property that is or was in

foreclosure you have special rights in addion to those of other renters

in evicon court. To preserve your rights as a “renter in foreclosure” it is

very important that you connue to pay your rent to the correct party.

Failure to pay your rent could result in an evicon. For informaon you

can contact Lawyers’ Commiee for Beer Housing’s free Tenants in

Foreclosure Help Line at 855-207-8347.

A foreclosure is a lawsuit where a bank seeks possession of a property.

This could happen for many reasons. If you rent an apartment, house,

or condominium that is in foreclosure, this means that the bank has

iniated a lawsuit to take over the property. The enre legal process

can last seven months to over a year. Somemes, the bank and owner

reach an agreement and your landlord connues to own the property.

In other cases, the court allows for the sale of the property to a new

owner. During this process, renters and landlords have the same rights

and responsibilies as they would if the foreclosure was never led. For

example, you must connue paying rent, as failure to pay rent may be

grounds for evicon. In some cases, the court may appoint a Receiver

(temporary manager) who would then be responsible for collecng the

rent and maintaining the property.

How do I know if my building is in foreclosure?

Signs that your building might be in foreclosure are if the maintenance

of the building stops, ulies are shut o even though you have paid

your bill, your landlord stops collecng rent and answering your calls, or

mail comes to the property addressed to your landlord from the bank,

the bank’s lawyers or the court. You can contact your county’s Recorder

of Deeds which should provide the court case number. If you know the

court case number, you can look up the case at your county’s Circuit

Court. If you need help you can call the Lawyers’ Commiee for Beer

Housing’s free Tenants in Foreclosure Help Line at 855-207-8347 (for

Chicago: 312-784-3507), or follow the guide on how to look up your

property by clicking the “How to nd if your building is in foreclosure

link” at:

hp://www.lcbh.org/get-legal-help/tenants-foreclosure-resource-table

How do I know when my building changes owners?

The foreclosure court may enter an “Order Appoinng a Receiver” or an

“Order of Possession” with an “Order Conrming Sale.” These orders

indicate a change in management and you must be noed of these

changes in wring. A new owner or Receiver must try to nd out the

names and addresses of all renters in the building and provide them

with a noce. The noce should inform you of the foreclosure, who to

contact to request repairs of the property, and how to pay your rent.

Failure to give this noce may provide you with a defense against an

evicon.

What Happens to the Renters?

Renters have rights which are covered by the federal Protecng Tenants

at Foreclosure Act of 2009 (expiring 12/31/2014), the Illinois Mortgage

Foreclosure Law, and the Illinois Forcible Entry and Detainer Act

(evicon law). Many cies have special ordinances and resources for

renters. Check with your city or village to learn if it has a local landlord-

tenant ordinance or has passed any special laws that protect renters

during foreclosure.

If you are a renter living in Chicago, you have some addional rights

due to the “Residenal Landlord Tenant Ordinance” and the “Protecng

Tenants in Foreclosed Rental Property Ordinance”. For informaon on

these addional rights for Chicago tenants visit:

hp://www.lcbh.org/get-legal-help/tenants-foreclosure-resource-table

During the foreclosure process

Your landlord is responsible for the maintenance of your building unless

the court appoints a Receiver. If this happens, the Receiver is responsible

for maintenance of the building. If your building is not being maintained,

or your ulies (gas, electricity, or water) are shut o, talk with your

landlord (or Receiver) rst. If problems sll aren’t addressed, call your

local building department or code enforcement department. They may

invesgate and require the owner to make repairs.

You must connue paying rent. Ownership and/or management of your

apartment may change, and it may be dicult to know where your rent

payments should be sent. If you cannot contact your landlord and have

not yet received a wrien change of ownership noce, you should save

your rent and keep it aside unl you get the proper noce. If an evicon

is led against you for not paying rent, but you were never noed that

there was a new landlord to pay, you may have a defense against the

evicon; you should speak with an aorney.

Aer the foreclosure is over

You have a new landlord and you have dierent rights depending on

whether you have a lease and when you entered into the lease. You

have a right to receive wrien noce if you are asked to move but

beware of leers and noces posted on your building saying that you

must move out immediately. Renters with bona de (valid) leases have

rights that are dierent from other renters. Bona de is Lan for “good

faith,” and most leases are bona de. There are several factors that

determine if a lease is “bona de”.

• Your lease (wrien or verbal) must be the result of an “arms-length

transacon” (entered into by people acng in their own best

interests).

• Your rent (including subsidies) cannot be substanally lower than

fair market rent.

• You cannot be the former owner and you generally cannot be a

parent, child, or spouse of the former owner. If this is the case,

under Illinois law, you may sll be able to prove your lease is bona

de and you should speak with an aorney.

If a new owner tells you that your lease is not “bona de”, but you feel

that it is, you should speak with an aorney. To help you determine if

you have a “bona de” lease, please call the free Tenants in Foreclosure

Help Line at 855-207-8347.

If your lease is” bona de” and the new owner wants you to move out,

your new landlord must give you 90-days’ wrien noce before ling an

evicon law suit. If your lease extends beyond 90 days, you may, in most

cases, be able to stay unl the end of your lease. The length of your

lease may be aected depending on when you signed the lease, during

the foreclosure process. New owners should honor the exisng lease

without requiring you to sign a new lease or agree to a lease extension.

If your lease is not “bona de” you are sll entled to receive a wrien

noce. The length of the noce may be shorter and it might be a 30

days’ noce, but that noce must sll comply with the law. If you

receive any noce that requires you to move out in less than 90 days,

speak with an aorney.

A new owner can choose to oer to pay you to leave before the

expiraon of the noce. You are free to accept or reject the oer.

Beware of “cash for keys” oers that are made by people who do not yet

own the building and ask you to leave your home too quickly or demand

that you give up rights you do not want to give up.

Evicons from Foreclosed Properes

Evicons of renters with “bona de” leases, wrien or verbal, can only

be brought in Forcible Entry and Detainer Court. Even if the bank names

a renter in the foreclosure case (which is brought in a dierent court)

that renter cannot be evicted as a result of that foreclosure proceeding.

Some people who live in a foreclosed property can be evicted through

the foreclosure case but not renters with “bona de” leases whether or

not that lease is wrien or verbal. Renters must be evicted in forcible

entry and detainer court. This is done through a process called a

“supplemental peon”. This process, however, is not common. If you

are served with a “supplemental peon” in a foreclosure case, you

should speak with an aorney.

You should know that if you are in evicon court and an “Order for

Possession” is entered against you this is sll an evicon even if you

have agreed to enter it, agreed to pay money and have agreed to move

out.

Security Deposits and Foreclosed Properes

Your landlord should return your security deposit if you move out or

aer your landlord loses the building. In some cases, the foreclosure

court may order your landlord to transfer your security deposit to

the new owner. If the deposit is transferred, the new owner becomes

responsible for the deposit and should nofy you within 21 days that

they have received it.

Seal your record

If you are taken to evicon court because your building is in foreclosure,

your court record can be sealed (made condenal) to protect your

credit report and your ability to rent in the future.

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Just like in your housing search, there are many complicated parts of

managing your money, but knowing where to go and how to start can

help you be prepared for success.

Pay Day Loans/Cash Advances

These loans are provided to people oen who are between paychecks.

The promise is that you are more likely to be approved and you can pay

back the loan when you get your paycheck. People somemes need

to use these because they are short on cash, but they end up paying

high fees and lose money in the end. Not all these pay day loans/cash

advance places are “predatory” in nature. Sll, these loans charge a very

high interest rate. Only use this resource as a last resort.

Pre-paid Debit Cards

Some employers are paying their employees through pre-paid cards.

These cards usually charge user fees every me you use the pre-paid

card, reducing the amount of your pay check. Some will even charge a

fee if you don’t use your pre-paid card. Although much more controlled

than in the past, you should be able to have exibility in choosing your

payment method and you should not be forced into taking a pre-paid

debit card. Let your boss know that you would rather not get paid

through one of these cards. If your employer does not want to pay

through paychecks, ask them to deposit your pay check directly into

your bank account.

Banking

Invesng in a bank account is a good idea. Bank accounts store your

money in a safe place, are federally protected, allow you to track and

use your money electronically and let you establish credit. Search for a

bank that is close to you or has locaons that you can get to. Consider

that if you will be moving, you may be able to search for another bank in

that area.

Checking Accounts

A checking account allows you to deposit and withdraw your money

from a federally-protected bank account. Banks oer many dierent

opons for people with dierent amounts of money. Luckily some states

(including Illinois) require that banks provide opons to people in all

kinds of nancial situaons. Basic banking accounts, also called life-line

accounts, are designed for lower-income customers, so there are no

monthly fees and no minimum balance. You may be prevented from

using checks or other electronic services, but this might be a beer

alternave to paying a fee to a currency exchange to cash your check.

When you set up an account, your bank will give you more informaon

for your exact account. You may be able to choose the account you want

based on how much money you would have to deposit, or put in, the

bank account when you open it.

When you get a banking account, you will also get an ATM card. Banks

won’t charge for using an ATM fee at their banks. They may if you use

an ATM at another bank. This is a small fee that adds up quickly. Life-

line accounts may waive this fee, so ask about it when you set up your

account.

Savings accounts

Savings accounts are oered by nancial instuons and allow you to

receive a return (interest) on money you keep in your saving account.

These funds, however, aren’t as immediately accessible as those in a

checking account. You can’t write a check using these funds. You won’t

have a debit card to draw from these accounts. As you might assume,

these accounts are intended for saving, as they will allow customers to

slowly gain value from their funds. You should use these accounts if you

have money you won’t need to access in the near future.

Credit cards

Credit cards provide the freedom of purchasing items now and paying

later. However, they come with a price. Persons who do not pay their

credit card bill in full every month will have to pay high interest charges.

While credit cards can help you establish a good credit history, there are

some general rules you should always follow if you get one:

• Only use them for purchases you’ll be able to pay o when your bill

is due (so you won’t pay any interest) or for absolute emergencies

where you will be able to pay in the very near future (where you will

have to pay interest).

• Always make at least the minimum required monthly payments, or

else you’ll be charged late fees, interest will grow, and your credit

history will be damaged.

• Pay as much as you can as quickly as you can.

• The best way to use a credit card is if you pay your enre bill every

month.

• If you’re unsure whether or not you should get a credit card or use

one to pay for something, don’t!

Did You Know? How Invesng Works

If and when you have savings worth at least three months of pay in your

bank account, you may want to think about invesng. When you invest,

you buy a stock, bond, or mutual fund, which may earn interest if it does

well. Invesng can be risky. If the investment does not do well, you will

lose money. It is a good idea to get advice from a nancial instuon

when you have enough savings and are thinking about invesng.

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)

IDAs are asset-building tools that enable low-income families to save

towards a targeted amount of money to pursue a goal (e.g., owning a

home, going to college, or starng a small business). IDAs allow money

you put in an account to be matched dollar for dollar by donaons

from government, companies, charies, or churches. If or when you

feel ready to look into this, sit down with someone from your bank and

discuss this possibility.

Budgeng

Before you begin your housing search, make a budget that includes all of

your income and expenses. Make sure you account for taxes taken out

of your paycheck. Ideally you will spend no more than 25% to 30% of

your monthly take-home income on rent. Many suggest that you should

not spend more than 30% of your income on housing (rent and ulies).

This means that if you make $1,000 a month but $100 is taken out in

taxes, you should spend about $270 on housing. Obviously it is very hard

to nd housing for $270. You might be forced to spend more than 30%

of your income on housing. Of course, you could consider a roommate

(see the secon on roommates, above).

Before you decide on an appropriate monthly rental amount, consider

all of your outside expenses, including ulity bills, child care, personal

hygiene items, laundry, household cleaning items, clothing, fun and

food. You might think you don’t purchase clothing every month,

however, if you don’t set aside money for clothes every month, you

might not be able to pay rent or ulies at a me when you need

to purchase clothes. Failing to account for all expenses will result in

inaccurate budgeng, and may cause you to fall behind on some of your

important bills.

Somemes it is best to choose an apartment that includes all ulity

costs (gas/electric, water, and somemes even cable/internet) in the

cost of rent. This will be much easier to budget month-to-month, and

you won’t have to remember to pay all those extra bills. On the other

hand, you may pay higher rent for the convenience of having the

landlord manage the ulies for you, and you will not have as much

control over your home environment and your bills. In an apartment

where you pay your own ulies, you can keep the bills down by

conserving energy, and you have a right to nd out the approximate

annual ulity costs before you nalize the lease.

Choose an apartment that gives you room in your budget to buy other

things you need. If you will be struggling to pay for food or other basic

needs, you can’t aord the apartment. By being honest with yourself

about your budget, you are making sure that the rental you choose is a

good t.

Consider your move-in costs before signing a lease

Are you ready to move? Consider these costs. You may need to save

more money:

• Your rst month’s rent

• A security deposit or move in fee

• Ulity company deposits (Gas, electric, and water)

• Telephone company deposit

• Hook-ups required for cable or ulies

• Actual cost of moving (truck, van, supplies)

• Cost of furnishings and equipment needed

ILhousingsearch.org provides a “move-in calculator,” which may be

useful for predicng your move-in costs. This tool can be found at:

hp://www.socialserve.com/tenant/educaon/MovingCostCalculator.

html?ch=IL

Security Deposits

Most landlords will ask for a security deposit. This is money that you

give to your landlord just in case you owe money for rent or damages

to the unit when you move out. The security deposit is usually equal to

the amount of one month’s rent. There is no limit on the amount your

landlord can request, as long as the charge is the same as other tenants

in similar apartments for persons with similar credit. Your landlord is

required to give the money back to you aer you move unless you owe

money for one of these reasons. In Chicago, the landlord has 45 days to

return your security deposit aer you move out of your unit.

Some people pay a deposit before signing a lease or moving in so that

the landlord will hold the apartment for them. If you decide to rent

somewhere else you may have a problem geng your money back as

the landlord is not required to give it back to you.

Many landlords will request a security deposit while they decide if they

want to rent to you. Find out what will happen to the security deposit

if they reject you and how long it will take to get it back. If you give a

landlord any money, get a receipt. If you have an agreement that the

money will be returned, get everything signed, inialed by you and the

landlord, and dated.

The most important thing to do to make sure you get your security

deposit back is to inspect your rental unit in detail at the beginning and

end of your lease. Do this with your landlord. Put in wring (usually a

check-list) all the problems in the unit. Both the landlord and tenant

can sign the checklist. This process is explained in more detail under the

“Housing Search” secon.

Some cies have addional regulaons for landlords that hold tenants’

security deposits which include providing annual interest, providing

receipts and keeping the money in a separate account. Addionally,

there may be regulaons for the proper method of deducng from or

refusing to refund a security deposit. For example, in Chicago, a landlord

must give the tenant wrien noce within thirty days of the tenant’s

move that money will be deducted from the security deposit for repairs.

More informaon can be found at:

hp://www.tenants-rights.org/security-deposits-faq/

Apartment Applicaon Fees

Many landlords require an applicaon fee. These fees are usually

non-refundable. Therefore, it’s to your advantage to nd out if your

credit history is one that is likely to be approved before turning in an

applicaon and applicaon fees.

Security Deposits vs. Move-In-Fees

Many landlords have begun to ask for move-in fees and applicaon

fees rather than, or in addion to, security deposits. Move-In-Fees are

dierent than security deposits because they are not returned when you

move out. This is an important disncon to consider. Security deposits

can help cover the cost of a subsequent move, but move-in fees will not

be available for later use.

Ulies

Ulies like gas/electric, water, and sewage/trash can eat up your

monthly budget, and add quickly to your housing costs. Some ulies

may be included in your rental agreement. Typically the more units in

a building, the more ulies are included in your rent. However, every

building is dierent. Before you sign a lease, make sure you know what,

if any, ulies are included in the monthly rent. In Illinois, a tenant is

responsible for gas and electric service to their own unit, and only to

their own unit, unless otherwise specied in the lease. For all ulies

that are not included, nd an esmate of their monthly cost by asking

the landlord for the Heang Cost Disclosure.

If your lease states that the landlord is responsible for ulity payments,

and they are shut o because the landlord did not pay the bills, you

have the right to take acon. Always consult with an aorney, legal aid

agency or tenants’ rights organizaon before taking any acon. Nofy

the landlord in wring and give them 24 hours to x it. If it is not xed,

you can pay the ulity company yourself, or buy something that can

supply the service (such as a space heater), and deduct the cost from

your next rent payment. If the landlord does not respond to your wrien

request in 72 hours, you have grounds to terminate your lease.

Depending on the circumstances, ulity terminaon may be treated as a

form of illegal lockout. Hopefully you never nd yourself in this situaon,

but if you do, you may need to reach out to one of these organizaons

for more informaon about your rights:

• Cizens Ulity Board: 800-669-5556

• Legal Assistance Foundaon of Metropolitan Chicago: 312-341-1070

• Metropolitan Tenants Organizaon: 773-292-4988

• Lawyer’s Commiee for Beer Housing: 312-347-7600

• Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundaon: 618-398-0574

• Prairie State Legal Services: visit this website to nd your specic

locaon

hps://pslegal.org/psls-locaons.asp

Major public ulies such as Ameren, Com Ed, Nicor, North Shore Gas,

and Peoples Gas, also oer “budget billing”. If you enroll in budget

billing, the company esmates the likely cost of gas or electricity for

your address and spreads the cost out over the enre year to help you

avoid geng stuck with really expensive bills at certain mes of the year.

In budget billing, you pay a lile less than you actually owe in winter

and summer, and a lile more than you actually owe in spring and fall.

Your bill sll shows exactly how much gas or electricity you actually

used, how much it cost, and how much credit or debit you have in total.

If you reduce or increase your energy consumpon, the company will

reduce or increase your monthly payment amount accordingly. If you

want to exit the budget billing program, you would have a right to a

refund of any credit you accrued and you would be expected to pay any

outstanding amount by your regular due date.

Budget Billing can help you maintain a budget year round, so you will

not be surprised with high cooling bills during the summer or heang

bills during the winter. We strongly encourage every person receiving

income from government programs, persons in subsidized housing or

people who spend more than 40% of their income on housing enroll in

budget billing.

General Tips for Lowering Ulity Costs

There are a number of things you can do as a renter to reduce your

ulity costs. Most of these ps are also good for the environment:

• Put on a jacket, hat and wear warm socks.

• Proper maintenance will help your heang unit run more eciently.

Electric and oil heaters should get professional aenon at least

once a year and gas heaters every other year.

• Dirty lters lead to higher heang costs. Find out how oen it

should be replaced and ask your landlord to change them regularly.

If you are responsible for your own heang bill, you should have

access to your own furnace and thermostat.

• Vents blocked by rugs and furniture prevent heated air from

circulang. Check the vent for dust and to make sure that the slits

are open and air is owing.

• Vents in your refrigerator are usually located inside your refrigerator

near the top. If you have an item blocking it, your refrigerator won’t

be as cold and will use more energy.

• You can buy a small refrigerator thermometer that tells you if your

fridge is too warm, too cold, or just right. You can oen get these for

free at many community events.

• Heat rises to the ceiling. Ceiling fans can oen revolve in two

direcons. In the winter, you can change it to blow air towards the

ceiling at a low speed so that it will circulate heat all over your unit.

• Closing all curtains at night helps reduce heat escaping. Opening

your curtains or blinds during the winter where the sun comes in

can warm your unit.

• When you shower, keep the bathroom door open so steam spreads

to other rooms, and don’t turn on the bathroom vent.

• You can save about 3% on your heang bill for every degree that you

set back your thermostat. A good temperate to set your thermostat

at while asleep is 63 degrees. While you are gone, turn down your

heat to 55 degrees. When you are at home, keep the heat at 68

degrees during the winter. If you have air condioning, turn it to 75

degrees during the summer.

• A “smart” thermostat ($30-$100) can be set to change the

temperature for you. You won’t have to forget to turn your heat or

air condioning down when you leave for work or go to bed because

it will do it for you on a schedule that you set.

• Buy an ENERGY STAR air condioning unit which uses less energy

than regular models.

• A window air condioning unit that is too big or too small, or is

not sing straight or properly sealed, will inate your electric bill

dramacally.

• Purchase plasc coverings for your windows that may help keep

heat in. You can also install some low-cost caulking or weather-

stripping, or consider adding some insulang material. Most

weatherproong materials are inexpensive and oen you can get

weatherproong kits for free at community events.

• Feel for dras around windows, doors and oorboards. You can also

hold a candle near windows, doors and light xtures and look for

smoke moving in a horizontal direcon. If you see the ame moving,

that means there’s sll an air leak and you need to use weather

proong materials to seal it.

• Your hot water heater uses more gas (or electricity) than you might

think because it is always on. If you are responsible for your own hot

water, you should have access to your own hot water heater. Make

sure the thermostat on your unit is at 120 degrees (lower if you

prefer), or on the “low” seng. You will sll get plenty of hot water

for bathing, and children in your home will be safe from accidental

burns.

• Unless you’ve got a newer water heater that already has built-in

insulaon, cover your water heater with an insulated “jacket” ($20)

which you may be able to nd free at community events.

• A water-ecient shower head (oen less than $20) can use 25% to

50% less hot water, saving both on water and power bills, with lile

to no reducon in user sasfacon.

• Energy ecient light bulbs (with an “Energy Star” label) cost a

couple dollars more at the grocery store but save you LOADS later

on in electric bills. They also last a lot longer than regular light bulbs.

• Turn o lights, TVs and other appliances when they are not in use.

• Do not over dry your clothes (it shrinks them and uses more

energy). Remove lint from the trap in the dryer to make the dryer

more ecient (and safer).

JOB SEEKING ADVICE

Although it is not the purpose of this handbook to help persons locate

employment, we know that without a large enough income you

probably can’t aord housing. We therefore wanted to oer some ps

on nding employment.

Places to Look for Jobs

•

Newspaper.

•

Websites like monster.com, careerbuilder.com, craigslist.com and

npo.net

•

Go into a restaurant or store and ask if they are hiring and if you can

have an applicaon.

•

Go to the company website. Many mes you can ll out an

applicaon online.

•

Check bullen boards at local coee shops and stores.

•

See if there will be a job fair in your area.

•

Ask people you know for job leads.

•

Check out Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). IDES

can provide a lot of services depending on which local oce you

will use. These oces provide job leads, help with job searches, and

assist in developing resumes. IDES’ website is:

hp://ides.illinois.gov

How to Get Hired

First impressions are very important when looking for a job. Try to

maintain a professional image. You can shop at discount stores like

Goodwill to nd appropriate interview are. Other ps are:

•

Once you start applying for jobs, you never know when you will get

called for an interview. Be prepared at all mes.

•

Make sure your interview clothes are always clean.

•

If you have children, try to have someone you can call to watch

them if you get called for a last-minute interview.

•

If you are leaving your phone number, make sure your voicemail

message is clear and appropriate.

•

If you are leaving your email address, make sure it is appropriate.

Email addresses that use your name look more professional.

•

If you use social media sites like facebook.com, make sure the

pictures and posts that everyone can see are professional and

appropriate. If you have something you would not want a potenal

employer to see, delete it or change your security sengs so that it

is private.

•

Before going on an interview, learn about the company. Come

prepared with a reason that you want to work for that parcular

company that does not involve the money you will make.

•

Write down a list of quesons you have for the interviewer. This can

include specic quesons about the job and quesons about the

company as a whole.

•

As soon as you apply for a job, gure out transportaon.

Dress modestly and cleanly. Try not to wear jeans, especially if you are

interviewing in an oce seng. If you do wear jeans, make sure they

are not too ght or too loose and that they do not have any rips or

holes. If possible, cover any taoos. In addion:

Women:

• Do not wear strongly scented perfume.

• Avoid open-toe shoes and/or shoes with a very high heel.

• Avoid sneakers or ip ops.

• Don’t wear shorts. If you wear a skirt, make sure it goes to your

knees and wear pantyhose.

•

Don’t wear anything too ght or revealing. Make sure your shirt

covers your chest and your midri.

• If you wear makeup, keep it looking natural, no bright colors or

heavy eye makeup. If you wear nail polish, wear a neutral color.

Men:

• Do not wear strongly scented cologne.

• Avoid sneakers or ip ops.

• Wear no or limited jewelry.

• Wear a belt.

• Make sure to shave. If you want to keep minimal facial hair, keep it

neatly trimmed.

Be early for your interview. Make sure you leave plenty of transportaon

me, especially if you are relying on public transportaon, in case there

is heavy trac or you are traveling to somewhere unfamiliar.

Use references that know you well on a professional basis, not friends

or family members. If you don’t have a lot of work experience, consider

using a neighbor who has allowed you to baby sit their children, a

church leader, or a former teacher. Before asking for an applicaon,

make sure you have all the informaon you need. This includes your

social security number, a list of your previous employers and schools

and their addresses, and a list of references. Make sure you ask for

permission before you use someone as a reference. Make sure you

thank the employer for meeng with you.

Send a personal thank you note in the mail or through email aer the

interview.

ENTITLEMENTS

Supplemental Nutrion Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP (also referred to as Food Stamps or Link Card) can help pay for

food. Eligibility depends on your income and the number of people in

your household. If you are eligible, you will receive a LINK card that can

be used at grocery stores to buy certain food products. You can apply at:

hps://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

There are many dierent types of cash assistance. If you are pregnant

and/or have dependent children, you may qualify for TANF (also referred

to as “Public Aid”). You may also be able to receive other services,

including child care. In order to receive TANF, you must work with the

IDHS oce to create and follow a plan for becoming self-sucient. This

may mean that you will be required to parcipate in certain services and

acvies, including training and/or employment. You can apply at:

hps://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/

Medical Assistance:

If your income is less than $1,321 each month you may be eligible for

Medicaid. Individuals are also eligible for Medicaid in Illinois. You no

longer have to be disabled, a child, or pregnant to receive medical

coverage. Youth who aged out of DCFS foster care and are under 26

years of age may be eligible even if they don’t meet income eligibility

criteria. You can apply at:

hps://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/

Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

WIC provides assistance in buying healthy foods to low and medium

income women who are pregnant, breaseeding, or just had a baby

and/or have children less than 5 years of age. You can make an

appointment to apply for WIC at an IDHS Women, Infants, and Children

oce. You can nd a local oce at:

hp://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?module=12

When you make an appointment, make sure to ask about the

documents you will need to take with you to your rst appointment.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

Social Security pays benets to people who cannot work because they

have a medical condion that is expected to last at least one year or

result in death or are blind or aged. You are not eligible if you have

a paral disability or short-term disability. You must prove that your

disability prevents you from working. You will need obtain informaon

that supports your claim, such as medical records, and complete an

assessment demonstrang how your disability impacts normal acvies

of daily living. You must have worked 1.5 years out of 3 years from the

date of your injury. If you are working and geng income you might

not be considered disabled. A successful applicaon takes at least 3-5

months to process and could take more than a year. Apply as soon as

you believe you meet the criteria. To apply call 800-772-1213 to make an

appointment at your local Social Security oce or apply online at:

www.socialsecurity.gov

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is similar to SSDI. However, SSDI requires a person to pay into

the disability insurance program. SSI provides a minimum payment

to persons who have not paid any or enough, money into the Social

Security programs. Like SSDI, to be eligible you must not be able to

engage in a substanal gainful acvity because you are aged, blind or

disabled or a vicm of human tracking. The applicaon is similar to

that explained in the SSDI secon above. The person must also be a U.S.

Cizen or a documented immigrant. To apply call 800-772-1213 to make

an appointment at your local Social Security oce or apply online at:

www.socialsecurity.gov

To view all steps for applying, visit:

hp://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/326

FINAL THOUGHTS

Finding a place to live, especially for the rst me, can be daunng and

overwhelming, parcularly for those who are in unstable situaons.

People searching for housing can take some comfort in knowing that

we have all been there and that most of us have had some success

obtaining and maintaining housing.

Studies have shown that as many as one in sixteen people will be

homeless in their lifeme. We believe that no person should ever have

to experience homelessness. It is our intenon that the informaon

provided in this handbook can help prevent you from experiencing

homelessness or, if the worst happens, makes sure that you receive the

services you need.

Good luck!

Children & Family Services

Illinois Department of

Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois

DCFS #142

•

Sep 2019

•

25 copies

CFS1050-38-2

•

rev 9/2019

312.814.6800

www2.illinois.gov/DCFS