Southland elected officials help provide housing resources

Tyrone Ward is the mayor of the Village of Robbins and the president of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association. Ward said the organization has been assisting residents in the Southland with resources for rent and mortgages. Photo courtesy of Robbins Mayor Tyrone Ward
Tyrone Ward is the mayor of the Village of Robbins and the president of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association. Ward said the organization has been assisting residents in the Southland with resources for rent and mortgages. Photo courtesy of Robbins Mayor Tyrone Ward

Southland elected officials help provide housing resources

BY TIA CAROL JONES

Southland elected officials say that while everyone shares a foundational need for housing, unemployment and a reduction in income due to COVID-19, make paying rent and mortgages more difficult for some. As a result, they have decided to provide resources to those who might experience issues and need assistance.

Tyrone Ward is the mayor of Robbins and president of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association. Ward said there are programs like the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Homeless Prevention Program, which can help people who need help paying rent at this time.

The program provides rental and mortgage assistance, utility assistance, as well as approved case management for families and individuals in danger of eviction, foreclosure and homelessness.

“With what’s going on now and the limit of time that it’s going on, sometimes you get assistance with one month, then what do you do when the next month rolls around,” he said.

“Those programs are helpful, but they’re not a cure-all, more of a temporary help.”

Ward said the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association is helping where they can, and talking to the Illinois State Representatives and Senators to make sure more resources are available for the Southland residents. “The organization is very active with the legislators, with the administration in Springfield, to make sure they hear our side, they hear what we’re asking for, they hear our needs,” he said. “We have a good pipeline, we think they’ll listen. We talk to some people directly that are in leadership. So, they know exactly where we’re coming from, they know exactly what we need.”

Ward said some of the needs that were addressed included eviction relief, which was issued by Governor J.B. Pritzker on April 23, and stopped the initiation and enforcement of eviction orders during the current disaster proclamations. It was set to end on May 30, but officials hoped it would be extended to provide residents with further relief.

Ward said he and the organization have received calls from people who need to pause. So, there was a forbearance rule to put a pause on mortgage payments. There have also been calls to help reduce mortgage payments and the organization has been working with the landlords.

“For the most part, it’s not just tenants taking a hit, it’s the landlords. A lot of them have been doing what they’re supposed to be doing, offering extended payment plans, extending the grace period. And, they’ve been eliminating some of the late fees. They’ve been doing what they can, but they have obligations also,” he said. “Landlords have mortgages they have to pay. If they don’t have the money coming in to pay it, it puts them in a bind. So, we understand both sides.”

Now that Illinois is opening up in phases, the hope is that with people going back to work, they will be able to pay rent and are able to catch up on the time they lost.

“We’re hoping it is a gradual piece that will help everybody involved. It will help them to begin to get that paycheck, help the employers get what they need to get done,” he said. “Just help overall, not only financially, but there is a mental aspect involved in this. We hope getting back out there slowly will help mentally with a lot of them, also. We think getting back to work will help in a variety of ways.”

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