Help to buy in Illinois
Home-buying assistance programs in Illinois
6 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Illinois, from Illinois Housing Development Authority and City of Chicago Department of Housing. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in Illinois
- Verified programs
- 6
- from Illinois Housing Development Authority and City of Chicago Department of Housing
- First-time buyers only
- 1
- 5 do not require it or their pages do not say
- Accept an ITIN
- 0
- per their own site · no: 0 · unconfirmed: 6
- Last checked
- November 5, 2026
- against each program’s official page
How to read the list
Not all help is the same
Amounts, limits and funding change: confirm with a participating lender.
Before you compare amounts, look at the kind of help: it changes what you pay later. These are the kinds the programs on this page use.
On ITIN, each card says what the program itself publishes: yes, no, or not confirmed on its site.
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Deferred
Second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance
-
Forgivable
Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
-
Repayable
Second loan with monthly payments
-
Grant
Grant you never repay
The full list
Programs in Illinois
Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.
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- Deferred
IHDA second loan with deferred payments for first-time buyers in Illinois
What it gives, per the source
Limited funds remain, per the source
A no monthly payment, deferred down payment assistance loan for first-time homebuyers. Repayment is due when you sell or refinance. … Assistance Amount 6% … Assistance Maximum $15,000 … Term Length 30 years
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
- Forgivable
IHDA second loan forgiven little by little over ten years, for the down payment in Illinois
What it gives, per the source
Limited funds remain, per the source
A no monthly payment, forgivable down payment assistance loan, no repayment unless sold or refinanced before 10 yr. forgiveness period. … Assistance Amount 4% … Assistance Maximum $6,000 … Term Length 10 years
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
- Deferred
IHDA second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance, for the down payment in Illinois
What it gives, per the source
Limited funds remain, per the source
A no monthly payment, deferred down payment assistance loan, payment is due when you sell or refinance. … Assistance Amount 5% … Assistance Maximum $7,500 … Term Length 30 years
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
- Repayable
IHDA interest-free second loan repaid month by month over ten years, for the down payment in Illinois
What it gives, per the source
Limited funds remain, per the source
A zero interest repayable down payment assistance loan, monthly repayment is required. … Assistance Amount 10% … Assistance Maximum $10,000 … Term Length 10 years
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
- Forgivable
Flat $9,000 from IHDA for the down payment and closing costs, as a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments that is forgiven over five years; for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before (limited funds)
What it gives, per the source
Limited funds remain, per the source
A no monthly payment, forgivable down payment assistance loan, no repayment unless sold or refinanced before 5 yr. forgiveness period. … Assistance Amount Flat $9,000 … Assistance Maximum $9,000 … Term Length 5 years
- First-time buyer?
- No first-time requirement
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
HomeGrown Purchase Assistance
Only in: Chicago, Cook County
- Grant
Chicago Department of Housing grant for the down payment and closing costs, from $10,000 to $70,000 depending on your income and the home's area; you apply through NLS or TRP and must live in the home five years
What it gives, per the source
Open, per the source
providing grant assistance for down payments and closing costs. Applications are now open. … Grant funds may not exceed 25% of the property purchase price before any other purchase assistance is applied. … 80% AMI and below … $70,000 … 121 - 150% of AMI … $10,000
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by City of Chicago Department of Housing (DOH)
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
Rent help
Help with rent and utility bills in Illinois
One program we checked in Illinois to pay rent, power or gas, or avoid an eviction, with what its page says.
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Illinois Court-Based Rental Assistance Program (CBRAP)
Run by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
Illinois state help to pay back rent and court costs if you already have an eviction case for nonpayment
Open, per the source
See details
Help to repair your home
Repair programs in Illinois
3 programs we checked in Illinois to repair your home or make it more efficient, with what each page says.
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Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP)
Run by Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
Illinois weatherization program: upgrades that cut energy use in low-income homes, through local agencies
Up to $20,000
See details -
Home Repair and Accessibility Program (HRAP)
Run by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA)
Illinois state program for low- and very low-income homeowners to make health and safety repairs and adapt the home for accessibility
Waitlist, per the source
See details -
Home Repair Program (HRP)
Run by City of Chicago Department of Housing · Chicago, Cook County
City of Chicago program that repairs the roof or porch of homeowners with qualifying incomes, and makes small accessibility changes
Closed, per the source
See details
Your county
Price and income limits depend on the county. Your county page has the typical value, the FHA limit and the counseling agencies that can walk you through the application.
Frequently asked questions
What is down payment assistance?
Money from a public or nonprofit program for the down payment or closing costs. It can be a grant you never repay, a second loan forgiven if you stay in the home for some years, a second loan repaid when you sell or refinance, or a tax credit (MCC) that lowers your federal taxes.
Do I need to be a first-time buyer in Illinois?
Of the 6 programs on this page, 1 requires it; the rest do not, or their page does not say. In general, “first-time buyer” means not having owned a home in the last three years.
Can I use these programs with an ITIN?
What each program’s own site says: accept an ITIN, 0; do not accept one, 0; not confirmed on its site, 6. Ask the participating lender directly before you start, and ask for it in writing.