State rental assistance program opens May 17
Updated 5/17/2021 12:42 PM
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.
The state will begin accepting applications at 9 a.m. Monday, May 17. Tenants and housing providers must submit a joint application together.
Applications are available at ILRPP.IHDA.org.
Applicants are eligible for up to 15 months of assistance from June 2020 to August 2021.
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.
(The Center Square) – The director of the Illinois Department of Public Health can’t recall if she had talked with the former director of the Department of Veterans Affairs during the peak of the deadly LaSalle Veteran’s Home COVID-19 .
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SPRINGFIELD Both parties agreed Friday that the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak that left 36 residents dead at the LaSalle Veterans Home was a mess but they disagreed sharply on who was to blame.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration again pointed at former state Veterans Affairs Director Linda Chapa LaVia, contending she misled them into thinking she was adequately addressing the problems.
But Republicans lay the blame squarely at the feet of the Democratic governor, arguing the failure to take swift action as the crisis unfolded and the attempts to pass the buck indicated “a failure of leadership” at the top.
Foster parents step up to help but more support is needed
Updated 5/14/2021 9:42 AM
May is National Foster Care Month. With over 21,000 children in Illinois in need of support, it is the perfect time to acknowledge the impact the pandemic has had on too many families, recognize that everyone can play a part in enhancing the lives of children in foster care and their families, and ask more people to consider fostering.
In just the past year, Illinois has seen significant growth both in the number of children within the foster care system and in the increased need for more foster parents. The Department of Children and Family Services of Illinois anticipates the 21,000 number will continue to rise well after the pandemic subsides as it will take time for people to recover financially.
Elmhurst Public Library presents An Evening with Martha Hall Kelly Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lost Roses and Lilac Girls, and her latest release, Sunflower Sisters. Courtesy of Elmhurst Public Library
Updated 5/12/2021 11:32 PM
Join Elmhurst Public Library for an evening with Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, and her new title, Sunflower Sisters.
Kelly speaks about her writing process and the inspiration for her stories. Discussion and question-and-answer period will follow, moderated by library staff.
Kelly s debut novel Lilac Girls became a New York Times bestseller the week it was published in April 2016. The novel is historical fiction, based on the true story of 72 Polish women who were imprisoned and experimented on at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist and former actress, brought them to the U.S. for rehabilitation and the trip of a lifetime.