Help for Renters and other important updates

Qualified McHenry County renters who are behind on their rent or utilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to tap into $9.1 million in federal money to keep a roof over their heads and their lights on.

The County Board voted last week to create the McHenry County Emergency Utility and Rental Assistance Program to distribute the money, which was allocated through federal COVID-19 stimulus to help renters. The program aims to reduce or eliminate pandemic-related evictions, prevent homelessness, avoid damaged credit that could hurt future housing opportunities for renters, and repair landlord/tenant relationships strained because of lack of payment.

Renters who qualify (and landlords can apply, too) can receive rent and utility assistance for up to six months in arrears, and up to three months in advance. Awarded funds are paid directly to the landlord or the utility company.

Qualifying households must be at or below 80 percent of their area median income – households at 50 percent or lower or that include dependents or seniors 62 years and older will get priority. They also must be able to demonstrate a loss of income or employment as a result of COVID-19. Immigration status is not a factor in determining eligibility.

It is anticipated that the program will be up and running by mid-March, and the goal is to get this money out as quickly as possible. Until then, people who have questions about the program can email McHenryCountyComDev@mchenrycountyil.gov.

As soon as the mechanics are established, we will include them in our newsletter. We’d love for our Resume McHenry County partners to help spread the word so our vulnerable renters learn about this important lifeline.

The City of McHenry partnered with its local businesses and the McHenry County Department of Health to open a mass vaccination center to ramp up COVID-19 inoculations once our vaccine supply becomes more reliable.

The city turned an old Kmart that had sat vacant for 12 years into a warm, comfortable, and functional site in 11 days, and in brutal winter snow and cold. McHenry officials turned over the keys to the MCDH last Friday afternoon. The opening was covered by numerous Chicago-area media, including the Northwest Herald, the Daily Herald, WBBM News Radio, ABC 7 Chicago, and others.

The facility will offer inoculations by appointment only to people who have enrolled through MCDH. The enrollment form can be accessed online at HERE or through its COVID-19 Call Center at 815-334-4045.

It’s very important to note that the county’s vaccination efforts are hampered by the limited supply of vaccines. McHenry County’s share, like other counties, will be significantly reduced for the next several weeks as Illinois prioritizes shipments for those due to receive their second shot. The aforementioned winter weather has also delayed shipments of vaccines to the state.

McHenry County is making every effort to get residents inoculated, but vaccine supplies are limited. Many of the doses the MCDH receives from the state are shared with its community health partners throughout the county so that Phase 1a and 1b recipients, starting with first responders and those 65 and older, have closer and faster access – the remaining doses are utilized by the MCDH for its vaccination clinics.

The health department has also launched a COVID-19 vaccine locator page to help residents become aware of vaccine opportunities in McHenry County, which can be found on this website. The State of Illinois is also partnering with retail pharmacies such as Walgreens and Jewel-Osco to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. Information about where and how to schedule an appointment with these pharmacies is available at coronavirus.Illinois.gov.

Illinois is spending $3.4 million to expand community navigator outreach programs and technical assistance to help businesses take advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program and other business assistance programs set to launch soon.

The navigator program builds on the system the state piloted when it rolled out its Business Interruption Grant, which awarded $275 million to almost 9,000 small businesses statewide. In the coming weeks, more than $35 billion will be allocated through the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and the new Shuttered Venue Operators grant program.

The shuttered venue grant has not yet started, but the SBA has published an FAQ list you can read by clicking here. While the SBA is currently building the application platform, interested applicants are encouraged to register on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to save time.

As a reminder, you can learn more about the PPP by clicking here, and you can click here to find a list of SBA-approved participating lenders. Remember that businesses that received PPP loans under the first round are also eligible for loans under this new round. It’s advised that said businesses use the same bank for the sake of expediency because many more businesses are eligible for this second round because Congress relaxed the criteria.

We hope we got your attention. We need your help reaching more McHenry County residents and businesses to share this important information about the COVID-19 response and connect them with vital resources.

Please take these four steps:

1. Share/forward to your email/newsletter contacts.

2. Post information to your website.

3. Follow us on social media (see below); share our posts with your followers.

4. If you are not on the McHenry County Constant Contact list, please subscribe here

Staying connected and informed is more important now than ever! Follow McHenry County on social media for regular updates on COVID-19 in our region, resources to help you navigate the pandemic, safety tips and more!

Resume McHenry County is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenry County and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenry County community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents. The goal is to ensure a successful reopening of our economy so that we can return to our lifestyles safely and responsibly.