DeKALB – Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office has provided $15.3 million in funding for a home repair and accessibility program called the Home Repair and Accessibility Program which aims at helping low-income homeowners.

According to the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the distribution of funding will be handled by 36 government and nonprofit organizations, with a list available on the IHDA website.

However, DeKalb homeowners may be out of luck, as there is currently no loan distributor that services DeKalb County.

The closest distributor to DeKalb is the City of Rockford, with no guarantee that they will provide services.

For homeowners who do manage to get service they must meet additional requirements outlined by IHDA.

The base requirements are for homeowners to be at 80% or lower of their county’s average income. Homeowners must also be current on their mortgage and be a single-family home.

Homeowners will not receive more than $45,000, but the whole amount isn’t guaranteed. The funding will be given out as a 3 to 5 year forgivable loan.

A forgivable loan is a loan that doesn’t need to be paid back if the borrower meets certain requirements.

The IHDA advises that homeowners residing in areas not currently served by HRAP may contact a HUD-certified housing counseling agency  to discuss further options.