Affordable Housing in Chicago, IL

Chicago has two distinct housing authorities — CHA for the city, HACC for suburban Cook County — and Illinois quietly added source-of-income protection in 2023, so landlords can no longer refuse Section 8 anywhere in the state. The pandemic-era rental assistance has wound down, but Cook County's legal-aid network for tenants facing eviction is well-funded and a phone call away. This page lists what's actually operating in Chicago in 2026.

Emergency Help Tonight in Chicago

• Call 311 (or 312-744-5000 outside Chicago) and ask for shelter intake. The Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) coordinates Chicago's emergency shelter system
• All Chicago Continuum of Care manages Coordinated Entry for longer-term housing placements out of shelter — outreach workers and shelter staff initiate referrals
• Named shelter providers: Pacific Garden Mission (one of the largest in the U.S., walk-in), Franciscan Outreach (multiple sites including Mark VIII Center on West Side), Cornerstone Community Outreach (Uptown), Inspiration Corporation (food + housing), Catholic Charities shelters across the city
• Cold-weather warming centers open citywide when temperatures drop below 15°F. Find the nearest at chicago.gov or via 311
• Domestic violence: Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline 877-863-6338, or Chicago DV hotline 312-279-8989. Sarah's Inn serves DV survivors and bypasses standard shelter intake
• Family-specific shelter: contact DFSS family intake — families with children are prioritized for non-congregate placements

See our emergency housing tonight guide for the broader walkthrough.

Section 8 in Chicago: CHA vs. HACC

Your address determines which authority covers you. Both run separate Section 8 lists.

CHA — City of Chicago

• HCV (Housing Choice Voucher) waitlist is closed as of May 2026. CHA only accepts new HCV applications during specific announced open windows. Watch thecha.org for openings — sign up for email alerts
• Other CHA waitlists ARE open right now: Public Housing, Project-Based Voucher (PBV), and Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA). Project-based units typically have shorter waits than tenant-based vouchers — apply broadly
• Already on the HCV list? Check status at applyonline.thecha.org. Look up your client ID using head-of-household last name, last 4 of SSN, and date of birth
• Contact: (312) 742-8500 · 60 E Van Buren St, Chicago, IL 60605

HACC — Housing Authority of Cook County (suburbs)

• Serves suburban Cook County: Evanston, Oak Park, Cicero, Skokie, Berwyn, Maywood, Harvey, Calumet City, and the rest of suburban Cook
• Separate Section 8 list from CHA, with its own open/closed schedule. Apply at thehacc.org
• If you live in suburban Cook County, this is your PHA — not CHA

For the national application process, see how to apply for Section 8 and how to find your PHA.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Chicago

Illinois's pandemic-era ERAP and the Court-Based Rental Assistance Program (CBRAP) have wound down. Current paths for help this month:

• Chicago DFSS Emergency Rental Assistance: the City of Chicago's Department of Family and Support Services operates an ERAP for residents in income-eligible households facing housing instability. Apply through DFSS or visit chicookilrenthelp.org
• Illinois IDHS Emergency Assistance: the Illinois Department of Human Services runs statewide rental/utility help — separate intake from the city's program
• NHS Chicago Emergency Assistance Grants — for homeowners and renters in select neighborhoods, prioritizing those at risk of displacement
• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD) at 855-956-5763 — free legal help for eviction, debt, foreclosure, and tax-deed cases. If you've received an eviction notice, call them the same day
• Catholic Charities Chicago — one-time emergency assistance through parish-based programs across the metro
• The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division — eviction prevention and utility assistance through local corps
• St. Vincent de Paul of Chicago — emergency rental and utility help through parish conferences

Illinois & Chicago Tenant Protections

• Source-of-income protection (Illinois statewide, 2023): landlords cannot refuse to rent to you because you pay with a Section 8 voucher, SSI, SSDI, child support, or other lawful subsidy. Report violations to the Illinois Department of Human Rights. See source-of-income protections
• Chicago Residential Landlord-Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) — one of the strongest in the country: requires interest on security deposits, mandates 60 days written notice for any rent increase, allows repair-and-deduct when landlords fail to maintain habitability, and gives broad damages for landlord violations
• Cook County Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance (2024) — landlords in unincorporated Cook County and participating municipalities must state a permitted reason for non-renewal. The City of Chicago has a similar Fair Notice Ordinance
• Security deposits in Chicago: must be returned within 45 days with itemized deductions. Landlords with 7+ units must pay interest. Heavy statutory penalties for violations
• Eviction notice: 5 days for nonpayment, 10 days for lease violation, 30 days for ending month-to-month — and the landlord must then file in Cook County Eviction Court
• Right to legal counsel: not guaranteed in Cook County, but CCLAHD and the Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing represent low-income tenants free of charge

Other Affordable Housing Options in Chicago

• CHA Public Housing: ~21,000 units across Chicago. The list is open — apply at applyonline.thecha.org
• Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) at CHA: tied to specific buildings, often shorter waits than HCV — list is currently open
• LIHTC (Tax Credit) properties: thousands of income-restricted units across the Chicago metro. Search HUD's LIHTC database or the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) directory
• HUD-VASH for veterans: referrals through Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and Hines VA Hospital. See how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Rapid Rehousing: through All Chicago / DFSS for households exiting homelessness
• Mercy Housing Lakefront, The Resurrection Project, Bickerdike Redevelopment, LUCHA — major nonprofit developers of mixed-income affordable housing across the city

Next Steps

First step: figure out whether you're inside the City of Chicago or in suburban Cook County. That determines whether CHA or HACC is your PHA — and which Section 8 list to watch. If you need help tonight, call 311. If you've received an eviction notice, call CCLAHD at 855-956-5763 the same day. Our Where to Start tool routes you through the rest in about two minutes.