Find grants, rebates, forgivable loans, and free programs for Chicago, IL, filtered to your situation.
As of June 2026, 53 home improvement grant, rebate, and forgivable loan programs are open to homeowners in Chicago, IL, with individual awards up to $250,000. 13 programs target seniors, 7 serve veterans, and 24 require no income limit.
Data last verified 2026-04-03. How we verify our data.
| Funding type | Programs | Repaid? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | 41 | Never repaid | Income-qualified homeowners |
| Forgivable loans | 4 | Forgiven after a residency period | Larger repairs with no money down |
| Rebates | 2 | Refunded to you after purchase | Energy-efficiency upgrades |
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Formerly the Roof and Porch Repair Program, the HRP provides home improvements including roof, porch, flood control, HVA...
The EHRP provides emergency heating system replacement or repair for owner-occupants of 1-to-4-unit properties during wi...
The Chicago Department of Public Health provides funding to eliminate lead hazards from single-family homes and apartmen...
In partnership with ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, and North Shore Gas, CBA provides free home energy assessments and di...
The Whole Home Electric program helps homeowners replace fossil-fueled appliances and heating/cooling systems with elect...
The Cook County Department of Public Health provides grants to reduce lead-based paint hazards in homes built before 197...
Cook County distributes CDBG funding to suburban municipalities and nonprofit organizations for housing rehabilitation. ...
In partnership with IHDA, Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity provides forgivable loans for essential health and safety hom...
A national nonprofit affiliate providing free home repairs using volunteer labor for elderly, disabled, and low-income h...
NHS Chicago's CHIP provides up to $15,000 in health and safety home repairs for eligible homeowners in select South Side...
Neighborhood Lending Services, the nonprofit mortgage lender affiliated with NHS of Chicago, offers affordable home impr...
ComEd offers rebates and discounts on ENERGY STAR certified home appliances and high-efficiency heating and cooling syst...
Peoples Gas offers instant rebates for weatherization upgrades including air sealing, insulation, and duct sealing when ...
Peoples Gas provides free weatherization services for income-eligible customers including insulation, air sealing, and h...
Elevate's Healthy Homes initiative reduces health hazards like mold and lead paint for free in suburban Cook County whil...
IHDA provides up to 4% of the purchase price for down payment or closing costs, forgivable over 10 years if you live in ...
IHDA's newest program provides up to $15,000 in financial assistance toward a down payment or closing costs, paired with...
The General Homestead Exemption reduces the equalized assessed value (EAV) of a primary residence by up to $10,000 in Co...
Seniors 65 and older with total household income under $75,000 (2025) can freeze their property's equalized assessed val...
Provides a $5,000 reduction in equalized assessed value ($8,000 in Cook County) for homeowners age 65 and older who own ...
Veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability receive an annual reduction in assessed value based on disabil...
The SAH grant helps veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities build, buy, or modify a home to meet the...
The SHA grant helps veterans with specific service-connected disabilities adapt a home they or a family member already o...
The TRA grant helps SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans adapt a family member's home they are temporarily living in. SAH-eligi...
HISA provides funding for medically necessary home modifications including ramps, roll-in showers, lowered counters, and...
Section 504 provides 1% interest loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible...
FHA-insured loans for home improvements that protect or improve the livability of a property. No equity requirement for ...
The FHA 203(k) loan combines purchase/refinance with renovation costs in a single mortgage. The Limited 203(k) covers up...
LIHEAP helps income-eligible households pay energy bills, with payments ranging from $170 to $2,020 per year depending o...
Through LIHEAP, furnace assistance provides repair or replacement if your heating system is not functioning properly. Ap...
The Residential Clean Energy Credit provided a 30% tax credit for solar panels, battery storage, geothermal heat pumps, ...
The credit provided 30% of costs up to $1,200 per year for insulation, windows, doors, and efficient HVAC, plus a separa...
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program provides free tax preparation to help eligible homeowners claim all availabl...
The Illinois DCEO administers CDBG funds for housing rehabilitation in low- to moderate-income communities outside of Ch...
The CLEAR-Win (Childhood Lead Exposure Abatement and Remediation for Windows) program provides funding to address lead h...
The TIF-NIP provides matching grants of up to 50% of project costs (max $25,000) for exterior home improvements in desig...
A one-time $5,000 reduction in equalized assessed value for veterans returning from active duty in an armed conflict inv...
HMGP provides funding after a presidentially declared disaster to help communities reduce future disaster losses. Homeow...
ICC coverage is built into every National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy and pays up to $30,000 to help bring a s...
WAP provides free energy efficiency improvements to low-income households across all 50 states, DC, and territories. Eli...
HUD funds state, county, and city governments to identify and fix lead-based paint hazards and other health hazards (mol...
EPA's WIIN Act grants and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) fund lead service line replacement programs in...
The American Red Cross installs free smoke alarms and creates home fire escape plans through their nationwide Home Fire ...
EPA provides State and Tribal Indoor Radon Grants (SIRG) to every state to fund radon risk reduction programs. While the...
NeighborWorks America supports a network of nearly 250 local nonprofit housing organizations across every state, DC, and...
Owners of historic homes may access funding through their State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which distributes H...
The Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program provides HUD-guaranteed mortgage financing for American Indian and Al...
Illinois Solar for All provides income-eligible homeowners, renters, and multifamily residents access to solar energy at...
IHDA allocated $16 million through its Affordable Housing Trust Fund to local governments and nonprofits, who then issue...
IHWAP provides free energy-related weatherization and repairs to income-eligible Illinois households, reducing heating a...
The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program provides rental assistance to eligible low-income families, seniors, and ...
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, one of the nation's largest workforce systems, administers WIOA funds through a ...
The SBA Illinois District Office in Chicago supports small businesses through the Microloan Program, 7(a) loans, and 504...
The City of Chicago's Invest South/West initiative includes the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) which provides gr...
Illinois' Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) provides subsidized child care to low-income working families. Eligible f...
The City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services administers Head Start and Early Head Start programs throu...
Chicago's Small Owner-Occupied Repair (SOAR) Program provides forgivable loans up to $45,000 for emergency and code-requ...
Many of these programs can be combined. For example, you can use a city repair grant for the work, a utility rebate for the energy savings, and a federal tax credit on top, all for the same project.
Pick a project to see how much funding could stack on it from multiple programs in this city.
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53 programs are currently listed for Chicago, including Chicago Home Repair Program, Emergency Heating Repair Program, Lead Safe Chicago / Lead Abatement Assistance.
Grants do not have to be repaid. Forgivable loans are forgiven over a residency period, and rebates refund your money after the purchase. In Chicago, 41 programs do not require repayment, 4 are forgivable loans, and 2 are rebates.
Every program listing carries the official application link and phone number for the administering agency. Homeowners apply directly with that agency; there is no middleman and no fee.