If you are struggling to make your mortgage payments and you are a citizen of Illinois there are various federal and state resources you can tap into and find help to avoid losing your home.

Contact Illinois Housing Development Authority.

Their website ihda.org provides basic information on what to do if you are struggling to make your mortgage payments. This is not the best government mortgage help website we have seen – one of its suggestions to avoid foreclosure is to ask your church for help – but it does provide useful contacts that can provide more substantial help. For instance it suggests contacting Illinoislegalaid.org a nonprofit legal aid organization that provides free online legal advice. Their website is excellent and provides useful information.

Housing Counseling.

Illinois has various counseling agencies that provide free advice on default and foreclosure prevention. Make sure the counseling agency you choose is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) because some agencies just pose as non-profit organizations. HUD provides an up-to-date list of approved agencies for Illinois.

Legal Aid

Illinois citizens have a number of programs that provide free advice. Besides illinoislegalaid.org, you can try the land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation (lollaf.org) which provides free civil legal services to low-income people and senior citizens. Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation is not a government agency and provides independent advice for their clients.

Illinois Attorney General

Lisa Madigan, AG for Illinois, provides valuable information on her website. Click here for more information on her website.

The Illinois Department of Human Services

A great resource for troubled homeowners is the Illinois Department of Human Services. It is the lead agency in partnership with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in providing help to vulnerable residents in Illinois.

According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois is “the only state to specifically address the needs of the State’s priority populations by setting an aggressive goal  of using up to 40% of its allocated funding for developments that provide affordable and accessible homes for very low income households and persons with disabilities.” If you fall into this category check their website at dhs.state.il.us.

Banking Aid

The final resource we will be looking at to avoid foreclosure in Illinois is the Illinois Office of Banks and Real Estate (obre.state.il.us) which provides comprehensive advice on how to make the best decision when choosing a mortgage. We found the banking tips especially useful for new borrowers that need specific suggestions on how to look for the best mortgage.

Conclusion

If you are going through financial difficulties and your home is at risk be smart; set aside some time to find out what government programs are in place to help you.  The resources to make the most of a bad situation are at your fingertips it is up to you to use them or not.

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