DURING THIS TIME of the “stay at home” mandate, there is nothing more important than having a roof over your head. Here are a few resources to help you in this time of crisis, and ways to stay in touch with your community.
STAY CONNECTED
Even though we need to practice social distancing restraining our physical contact, we can still be connected through other means, and get support.
Nextdoor is the neighborhood hub for trusted connections and the exchange of helpful information, goods, and services. This app is very useful for giving and receiving local tips and help in the area you live. Click HERE.
City of Chicago 311. With the new CHI 311 website and mobile app, you can create new service requests; check the status of existing requests and the time it will take to resolve; snap a photo and submit it with a request to improve accuracy; map requests to help pinpoint a location; create an account to track service requests and get local, relevant information; provide feedback upon completion; and search and see helpful knowledge articles and search other requests in your neighborhood.
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. This website offers information on services ranging from rental assistance, emergency shelters, services for Senior Citizens, assistance with SNAP & TANF eligibility completion and many more. To access the website, click HERE.
City of Chicago Emergency Rental Assistance. This program provides financial assistance to Chicago residents to eligible individuals and families who are in danger of eviction in order to stabilize individuals and families in their existing rental unit. To access the website. click HERE.
Illinois Legal Aid Online. This organization offers guidance to resources to help you with your legal problem, including FIGHTING EVICTION (Note: Evictions in Chicago are banned for 30 days.) It provides court forms, legal information, and referrals to free or low-cost legal aid lawyers. To apply online, click HERE.
Howard Brown. This organization is offering services and information for LGBTQ youth who might be experiencing homelessness or need assistance. They can be contacted online, or for medical questions call our Patient Services Team at 773.388.1600. For more information, click HERE.
StreetLight Chicago. This organization provides up-to-date information on Chicago-based food, housing, and health resources for young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 with unstable housing. To connect with an interactive map with book-a-bed reservations click HERE.
FREE SUPPORT & MORATORIA
Comcast offers free internet. Low-income families who live in a Comcast service area can sign up as new customers to receive 60 days of free Internet Essentials service. To qualify for Comcast’s Internet Essentials service, customers must be eligible for public-assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI. Applicants can visit internetessentials.com to enroll in the program; they may also call (855) 846-8376 for English or 855-765-6995 for Spanish. To read more about this, click HERE.
Charter offers free internet. Cable giant Charter Communications will provide free broadband for two months to households with students, as a number of U.S. schools are shutting down because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. To enroll in Charter’s free-broadband program, eligible consumers must call (844) 488-8395. To read more about this, click HERE.
ComEd moratorium. The electricity company has voluntarily implemented a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment, effective immediately through May 1st. For more information, click HERE.
People’s Gas moratorium. According to the gas company website, “We are not disconnecting customer’s service for non-payment at this time.” For more information, click HERE.
—> Illustration by Elio Leturia
FULBRIGHT CHICAGO 