Financial Assistance and Grant Programs Resources
City of Chicago Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights
The City of Chicago Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights (IMRR) partners with community organizations, academic institutions and the private sector to provide a wide range of information, resources and services. IMMR’s website resources include:
- A Know Your Rights Guide (Translations are available in Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese, Ukrainian and Haitian Creole)
- A Resource Guide for New Arrivals in Chicago (Translations are available in Spanish, French, Arabic, Haitian Creole and Portuguese)
- Citizenship requirements and how to apply for citizenship
- Information and resources for new Americans
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) eligibility and resources
- Legal Protection Fund information and more
City of Chicago Rental Assistance Program
The Rental Assistance Program (RAP) provides funding to Chicagoans who are at risk of becoming homeless. RAP helps Chicagoans who have housing right now, but who may become homeless soon because they lost income or had another eligible emergency which prevents them from paying rent.
City of Peoria Ramp and Housing Assistance Programs
The City of Peoria provides a variety of housing programs to help community members fix their properties, stay in their homes for longer and buy a home. Programs are available to help with:
- Emergency replacement of broken water heaters and furnaces
- Housing rehabilitation
- Ramp and roof programs for eligible homeowners
- Down payment assistance
Claire’s Place Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis Support
Claire’s Place Foundation is a non-profit organization providing support to children and families affected by cystic fibrosis (CF).
Its programs are focused on creating a better quality of life for people and their caregivers as well as emergency funding assistance during long hospital stays. Its programs include an Extended Hospital Stay Grant Program and the Support Families and Resources Program.
Helps you understand and apply for services from Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Rehabilitation Services.
CMS Sickle Cell Disease Provider Toolkit
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Provider Toolkit provides help to strengthen the infrastructure across care settings and support the needs of people with SCD. The toolkit includes:
- How CMS program coverage can assist people with SCD
- General information about SCD
- Resources for individuals with SCD and those who support them
- SCD treatments, pain management and wellness
- Information for providers and community partners
- CMS Action Plan
College Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
Information from College Scholarships.org about college scholarships available to students with disabilities.
ComEd Financial Assistance Options
ComEd offers assistance programs and its Smart Assistance Manager tool (SAM) to help you find the right options. ComEd programs include free energy-saving products, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), payment and budget billing arrangements, and more.
CommunicationFIRST advocates to ensure everyone has the support they need to express themselves effectively and be heard. Organization members include people of all ages with over two dozen known and unknown expressive communication-related conditions, congenital and developmental disabilities, and conditions acquired later in life. CommunicationFIRST resources include:
- “The Words We Use” style guide
- Tips for online meetings with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users, by AAC users
- The “See us. Hear us.” film series
- The AAC Counts Project
Community Action Agencies work with local community organizations and non-profit partners to provide assistance to Illinois families with items including:
- Rental Assistance
- Food
- Energy Utility Bill Assistance
- Water/Sewer Payment
- Employment Training/Placement
- Financial Management
- Temporary Shelter
This link provides a local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) search tool that can help you find programs in your area.