Emergency Rent & Utility Assistance Programs and Information for Renters
General Resources
Utilities
If your service is already off or you can not pay or you will likely not be able to pay, contact the utility company and assistance programs. Information about specific utilities and programs are below:
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- North Shore Gas Share the Warmth Program
- Utility Assistance for Evanston Residents
Food
- List of Lake County Food Pantries
- Evanston Food Resources
- USDA Meals for Kids Site Finder
- Searchable List of Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens in Illinois
Unemployment Benefits
- If you’ve lost employment income, file for unemployment benefits at the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
Financial Assistance & Protections
- Community Action Partnership of Lake County offers emergency assistance for eligible Lake County residents.
- Catholic Charities offers emergency assistance for eligible residents.
- Many townships and municipalities offer emergency financial assistance for their residents. Examples include:
Nonprofit Legal Assistance
- Prairie State Legal Services offers free legal services for low-income persons and those age 60 and older. They have 12 offices serving 26 counties in Northern Illinois.
- North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic offers free legal services with expertise in housing, immigration and domestic violence in the norther suburbs..
- Open Communities offers legal assistance in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
- Legal Aid Chicago offers free legal advocacy in Cook County.
- Illinois Legal Aid offers free 24/7 online access to legal information to all Illinois residents.
- Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing offers legal services for Chicago residents only but has helpful information on their webpage.
Domestic Violence
- A Safe Place
- YWCA Evanston/Northsore
- The Illinois domestic violence hotline is: 877-863-6338.
Services for Immigrants
Childcare
- Searchable Emergency Childcare Finder
- YWCA of Lake County
- Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development
- Childcare Assistance via Call or Text: Call 1-888-228-1146 toll free to be connected with a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency that helps connect essential workers and families to emergency childcare.Text 1-312-736-7390 to be connected with Illinois Action for Children regarding the Child Care Assistance Program