News

Eligible local governments in Illinois are now able to claim over $742 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

With Illinois non-entitlement unit allocations from ARPA, eligible NEUs may claim their allocation by completing submissions to the NEU Portal.  Per federal guidance, NEUs that do not submit information by September 30th, 2021 will forfeit their allocation.

Local non-entitlement units eligible for funding:

Bartonville village - $831,026.95
Bellevue village - $278,549.69
Peoria Heights village - $785,621.59
West Peoria city - $605,631.45
Banner village - $24,741.85
Bryant village - $28,956.12
Canton city - $1,836,062.49
Creve Coeur village - $702,695.62
Cuba city - $159,054.73
Dunfermline village - $38,472.21
East Peoria city - $3,064,998.15
Fairview village - $64,029.72
Farmington city - $302,203.98
Glasford village - $130,098.61
Hanna City village - $162,045.50
Kingston Mines Peoria - $38,336.27
Lewistown city - $291,736.27
Liverpool village - $16,721.14
Manito village - $202,013.10
Mapleton village - $36,568.99
Marquette Heights city - $359,572.43
Norris village - $27,188.84
North Pekin village - $210,033.80
Norwood village - $62,398.39
South Pekin village - $148,587.02
St. David village - $71,642.60

Funds may be used to cover revenue losses, the costs of responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and invest in certain infrastructure projects. A full list of eligible Illinois NEUs can be viewed here.

Municipalities can register here to attend an informational webinar on Monday, July 26, 2021 at 10am. Those having techincal difficulties should reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 217-862-2730. 

Visit the DCEO website to learn more.

For those of our neighbors who are still struggling to pay their rent, the Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP) is still accepting applications for the current round of assistance until 11:59 PM this Sunday, July 18.
 
Applications can be completed at ILRPP.IHDA.org. 
 
The Illinois Rental Payment Program is an emergency rental assistance program designed to support households in Illinois that are unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Neighbors who apply may be eligible for up to 15 months of assistance and a maximum grant amount of $25,000. The grant can cover the past due rent from the previous 12 months and future rental assistance for the next three months, if deemed necessary.
 
In the event that a property owner is unresponsive, the Illinois Housing Development Authority will provide an alternative pathway to complete the application.
 
If you have any questions or need assistance completing your application, you can reach out to an area Housing Stability Service Provider. We recommend reaching out to one of the providers listed below.

METEC
2605 W. Krause Ave.
Peoria, Illinois 61605
www.metechrc.org
(309) 676-3832

Navicore Solutions
416 Main Street, Suite 431
Peoria, Illinois 61602  
www.navicoresolutions.org
(732) 409-6281

Peoria Citizens Committee
for Economic Opportunity, Inc.
711 W. McBean St.
Peoria, Illinois 61605
www.pcceo.org
(309) 671-3900

The Illinois Department of Employment Security continues to monitor new phishing schemes targeting individuals. Bad actors posing as IDES representatives are trying to trick individuals into disclosing their personal information through text, email, and social media messages.

It is critical for claimants and the public to remain vigilant to detect fraudulent correspondence:

• Follow steps from the FTC to recognize and avoid phishing scams. The examples below include tell-tale signs of a phishing scam, such as referring to the “Division of Employment Security” as opposed to the “Department of Employment Security” and directing to untrustworthy websites.
• Strengthen and protect account information. Individuals collected unemployment insurance should maintain a strong password that is unique to their IDES login, and never share their personal information with an untrustworthy source. For example, information regarding an individual’s IDES account should never be shared on social media. Additional tips are available on IDES’s fraud webpage.

Phishing sample #1: Text Message

Phishing sample #2: Email

Phishing sample #3 – Facebook

Additional Resources:

IDES: Fraud and Identity Theft Resources
Federal Trade Commission: How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
US Department of Justice: Press Release on Unemployment Schemes
USDOL Office of the Inspector General: Unemployment Insurance Phishing Fraud Alert

Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez are pleased to announce an innovative funding opportunity specifically addressing Illinois fire departments impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total amount of $1 million will be available to assist approximately 80 impacted fire departments that operate in diverse communities throughout the state. Under this one time grant opportunity, eligible Illinois fire departments could receive up to $15,000 in order to make up for lost donation revenues stemming from their inability to host local fundraising events during the periods of quarantines occurring in 2020. These fundraising events include pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners, and pay for necessities like fuel for fire trucks, utilities, and insurance.

In order to be eligible for the assistance grant the applying fire department must:

1. Be an Illinois combination or volunteer fire department;
2. Operate within a jurisdiction with a population at or less than 7,500 people;
3. Have an approved annual budget at or less than $150,000;
4. Have an OSFM Fire Department Identification Number; and
5. Be current with their National Fire Incident Reporting System reports at the time of application

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is pleased to collaborate with the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association who will empanel a special committee to review the grant applications utilizing a blind review needs based analysis. The OSFM will facilitate and directly oversee the distribution of the grant awards to the lucky recipients. This grant is financed through the Illinois Fire Prevention Fund, a non-general revenue fund that is supported primarily by a 1% assessment of the gross fire risk premium receipts of all insurance companies operating in the state.
All grant applications must be received by August 13, 2021.

The application review process will begin on August 23, 2021 and end on September 3, 2021. Grant recipients are expected to receive awards by October, 2021.

The Illinois Fire Department COVID-19 Assistance Grant application can be found here.