Deadline looming to apply for latest round of $500 cash payments for Chicagoans

This part of the Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot is meant to help people with adult dependents that missed the federal stimulus money.

Photo byserrnovik/Depositphotos.com

(CHICAGO) Eligible Chicago residents can apply for a $500 one-time cash payment.

If you are a low-income Chicago resident that had trouble accessing the federal relief stimulus checks in 2020, you may be eligible for this program. The current payments are meant to help people with adult dependents.

Applications opened on October 31st, and the city announced applicants have until December 31st to submit.

Chicago Resiliency Fund 2.0

The payments come from the Chicago Resiliency Fund 2.0 announced by Mayor Lori Lightfoot last February. It's part of the Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot, which includes three cash assistance programs.

The relief fund aims to help residents who struggled to access and qualify for the federal relief payments in 2020. The city will provide up to 25,500 eligible Chicagoans with a one-time $500 check.

Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot

The two other assistance programs that are part of the Chicago Pilot include:

• A $500 monthly payment for 12 months to 5,000 low-income households. Applications for this program closed in May, and checks are currently being distributed.
• A one-time $500 grant for the $4.8 million Domestic Worker Relief Fund.

Mayor Lightfoot announced in a statement in February, “Our innovative, monthly cash assistance program will help to stabilize and ensure the wellbeing of residents that have been struggling both before and during the pandemic," she said. "I am dedicated to continuing to bring relief to our city’s hardest-hit communities and look forward to rolling out this new initiative as soon as possible alongside our newest fines and fees reforms and other Chicago Recovery Plan priorities.”

Who is eligible for the one-time $500 cash payments?

According to the website, "the fund is now accepting applications from households who filed 2019 taxes with claimed dependents 17 years or older."

Other requirements include:

• You must be a resident of Chicago
• You must be 18 years of age or older
• Your household income level must fall at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level

How to apply to the Chicago Resiliency Fund 2.0

Applications close at 5 PM on December 31, 2022. You can go here to find out details and apply.

Help with fees and ticket debt for drivers

And finally, another Chicago pilot aimed at helping low-income households is the Clear Path Relief pilot, which provides relief to drivers by paying off their tickets for the past three years. You can find out more information here.

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