In addition to regular utility bill assistance programs such as LIHEAP and Project RELIEF, there are a number of financial assistance and loan programs that our residential and commercial customers may be eligible for,
which could be used for CWLP bill payment. See our listing below and also refer to the City of Springfield’s COVID-19 resource page, https://www.springfield.il.us/COSCovid19.aspx.
General Assistance
United Way, call 211 or visit United Way of Central Illinois’ website, click here. For the United Way 211 website click here.
Abundant Faith Ministries, 217.527.1006
Salvation Army of Springfield, 217.525.2196
New! Expanded CWLP Small Business Rate Relief Rebate
CWLP is offering utility bill relief to help Springfield’s small businesses in financial hardship due to COVID-19. The Springfield City Council approved a total allocation of $1 million from CWLP’s Environmental and Regulatory Initiative and Rebate Fund (ERIRF) for this relief program. Applications are set to open Thursday, December 17 by 9 a.m.
This program is designated for CWLP’s small business electric customers located in Springfield corporate limits among three customer types:
- Small Businesses in Rate Classes 40, 42, 44 or 46
- Independent restaurants and bars
- Veterans associations operating commercial kitchens
- NEW! No demand limit - Hotels, Theaters & Entertainment Venues
One-time rebates in the form of a CWLP bill credit for August and September 2020 billings for corresponding electric charges up to $3,000 will be awarded to qualifying small business customers. Small businesses that have received other COVID-19 financial assistance will not be excluded from applying to this rebate program.
Learn More & Apply
New! Youth Service Bureau Utility Bill and Rent Relief Assistance
The Youth Service Bureau has just added a new utility bill assistance and rent relief program for ages 18-24. Call 217.529.8300 or email ysb@ysbi.com to find out how to apply.
Applications were open November 16-30, 2020, for the City of Springfield’s Small Business Assistance grants of $5,000 to assist small businesses located within the City of Springfield. Follow their page to see if a second round of funding will open.
Learn More
Community Services Block Grant Program
Sangamon County Community Resources provide services that assist low-income people to attain the skills, knowledge, and motivation necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. Through their
Community Services Block Grant Program they offer housing assistance, emergency services programming and more.
Applying in person is no longer required and a new easy web application is one way to pre-qualify to make the process go faster www.helpillinoisfamilies.com. 217.535.3120.
Coronavirus-Related Paid Leave for Workers Tax Credits
As a follow-up to the federal government’s Families First Coronavirus Response Act,
IR-2020-57 was introduced regarding Coronavirus-Related Paid Leave for Workers and Tax Credits for Businesses. If your business is looking at the possibility of laying off employees, this provision should be examined in conjunction with Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order issued on Friday, March 20.
COVID-19 and Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits may be available to some individuals whose unemployment is attributable to COVID-19. IDES recently adopted emergency rules to try to make the unemployment insurance system as responsive to the current situation as possible.
For more information please visit their website.
Please note: if you file an Unemployment Insurance claim on or after July 17, 2016 and you are subject to the registration requirement, you must complete your registration immediately through www.IllinoisJobLink.com.
Your Unemployment Insurance benefits will not be paid until your registration is complete. Click here to apply
COVID-19 Response Fund
The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln and United Way have partnered together with $50,000 in seed money to start the COVID-19 Response Fund. So far, donors have contributed more than $120,000 and already deployed its
first grant of $30,000 to the Central Illinois Foodbank. This grant will be used to purchase non-perishable foods for an increasing number of Springfield-area families and individuals facing food insecurity.
Those interested in donating to the fund, click here.
DCEO Emergency Assistance Programs
Get Hired Illinois
DCEO in conjunction with IDES launched the Get Hired Illinois. This new portal is designed to connect workers with available job and career training opportunities across the state. Residents and employers may access
the site here. Illinois residents will also have free access to online workforce development courses via a partnership with Coursera.
Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund
The Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund will offer small businesses low interest loans of up to $50,000. Businesses located outside of the City of Chicago with fewer than 50 workers and less than $3 million in revenue in 2019 will
be eligible to apply. Successful applicants will owe nothing for six months and will then begin making fixed payments at a below market interest rate for the remainder of a five-year loan term.
Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program
To support small businesses in downstate and rural counties across Illinois, DCEO is repurposing $20 million in CDBG funds to stand up the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program. This Fund will offer small businesses of up to 50
employees the opportunity to partner with their local governments to obtain grants of up to $25,000 in working capital. Local governments can apply on behalf of businesses with 50 employees or less. Only units of local government recognized
by the Illinois Constitution and able to support economic development activities on a sufficient scale are eligible to apply for Economic Development grant funding. This includes cities, villages, and counties. Municipalities must not be a HUD
direct Entitlement community or be located in an urban county that receives "entitlement" funds.
(NEW - ROUND 2 OPEN) Business Interruption Grants (BIG) has applications ready and set to go live September 17th.
A total of $220 million will be made available for small businesses of all types in Illinois under this round of BIG programming to provide economic relief for small businesses hit hardest by COVID-19. Funding may be used to help businesses with working capital expenses, including payroll costs; rent; utilities; and other operational
Learn more and see how to apply: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/C19DisadvantagedBusGrants.aspx
In addition to the Business Interruption Grants, the Governor also announced DCEO's new program, Distressed Communities Program, will provide $25 million to support Illinois businesses that have sustained property damage as a result of civil unrest during the recent protests and demonstrations on or after May 25, 2020.
Federal CARES Act
The City of Springfield is closely following the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act is a document that has been created to help small business owners understand this bill better. Click here to read this guide.
Justine Petersen COVID-19 Relief Program
Justine Petersen is offering low interest small business loans to Illinois businesses impacted by this current pandemic. Maximum loan size is $50,000, with an interest rate of 3% amortized over 5 years. Loan proceeds may be used for working capital
or to address other costs incurred during, or as a result of, the Covid-19 crisis. For more information, contact JP staffer Galen Gondolfi at ggondolfi@justinepetersen.org or call 314.565.2223.
LIHEAP Update
LIHEAP stands for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The program, which provides qualifying Sangamon County residents with
financial help to cover their energy bills, has been allocated additional funding in 2021 winter heating season. Eligibility is
based on income and has been expanded
by the general assembly too no more than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (from 150%). This will allow more people to qualify.
Households of four making $4,300 monthly or less would qualify. In 2019, the average household received $600 in assistance.
Applying in person is no longer required and forms are available online,
Residents can also call the local Sangamon County LIHEAP and Community Resources Office 217.535.3120. The LIHEAP office is located in Suite C100, 2833 S. Grand Avenue East (the former Cub Foods building).
LISC Small Business Relief Grants
Applications are open for LISC Small Business Relief Grants in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.
LISC will use the funding to provide grants to businesses facing immediate financial pressure because of Covid-19. Grants can be used for:
- Payables to include rent and utilities
- Payroll (to include the applicant)
- Paying outstanding debt to vendors
- Other immediate operational costs
For more about LISC, visit https://www.lisc.org/covid-19/small-business-assistance/small-business-relief-grants/frequently-asked-questions/
Main Street Lending Program
The program is to assist small and mid-sized businesses with the purchase of up to $600 billion in loans. The Department of the Treasury, using funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) will provide $75 billion in equity to the facility.
The Main Street Lending Program will enhance support for small and mid-sized businesses that were in good financial standing before the crisis. The program:
- Apply for regular unemployment before you apply for PUA.
- If you applied for regular unemployment and have been denied between April 1, 2019 and today, do not reapply.
- Go into your regular unemployment account and set up direct deposit for payment.
- Have your 2019 tax return or proof of income ready and available.
- Be prepared to certify.
- Remember: You must submit a new application for PUA. The two systems are not transferrable.
- A guide can be downloaded here.
Mortgage and Housing Rental Assistance
NEW City of Springfield Rental Assistance Program
The City of Springfield Office of Planning & Economic Development, in partnership with the Springfield Urban League, have announced that the local rental assistance program is now available to tenants needing aid to pay for past due rent. The program will have a total of $400,000 available for disbursement from Community Development Block Grant Funds and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is open to applicants Beginning Thursday, August 20 and will run until the funding is exhausted. The maximum amount a tenant may receive is $1,000.
To qualify for the program:
- The property address must be in the corporate limits of the City of Springfield.
- Your household income is within the allowable limits.*
- Applicant must provide documentation showing a loss of income due to COVID-19.
- Cooperation from the applicant’s landlord to participate in the program.
Tenants seeking assistance should call the Springfield Urban League at 217.789.0830, Monday thru Friday, between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and must specify that they are seeking rental assistance. The intake process will occur over the phone. The application process will include communication with your landlord to verify the rental agreement and the total rent owed.
Applicants must also be prepared to provide documentation pertaining to income, employment status, and eligibility regarding COVID-related impact. Applicants will have the ability to email documentation to the Urban League to complete the process. In the event the individual does not have internet access, materials may be dropped off to the lobby of the Springfield Urban League. Specific instructions regarding completed applications will be provided during the initial phone conversation.
If you are leaving a message with the Urban League regarding the program after hours, please specify
that you are seeking rental assistance along with your contact information.
*Qualified Household Income Per Tenant Living At Address:
1 – Can make up to $42,800
2 – Can make up to $48,900
3 – Can make up to $55,000
4 – Can make up to $61,100
5 – Can make up to $66,000
6 – Can make up to $70,900
7 – Can make up to $75,800
8 – Can make up to $80,700
Office of Planning & Economic Development Housing Programs
The City of Springfield’s Office of Planning and Economic Development has Community Development Block Grant Programs and other assistance available. To learn more about these programs visit
https://www.springfield.il.us/Departments/OPED/ResidentResources/housingPrograms.aspx
or contact that office at info@OPED.springfield.il.us or 217.789.2377.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
To ensure homeowners and renters have the most up-to-date and accurate housing assistance information during the COVID-19 National Emergency, the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau (CFPB), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and HUD launched the new Mortgage and Housing Assistance website.
Visit the site
Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network: 888.252.1119
New Illinois Housing Development Authority CARES: 888.252.1119
IHDA (Illinois Housing Development Authority) developed the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) to support Illinois homeowners unable to pay their rent due to a COVID-19 related loss of income.
Apply beginning August 10 thru 21. Any questions, call 312.883.2720, or toll-free at 888.252.1119.
To be eligible:
- Your household income before March 1, 2020 was within the allowable limits.
- You, or an adult member of your household, suffered a loss of income due to COVID-19.
- You missed a rental payment on or after March 1, 2020, and your landlord is willing to participate.
Check if you are eligible by visiting https://era.ihda.org/ and enter your name, email, zip code and household income and submit your online application:
- Enter information about your household, landlord, and rent.
- Upload a government issued photo ID.
- If your ID does not match the address on your application, you will need to upload proof of your current address.
- You must click the FINISH button to submit your application.
- If you need help applying, please visit https://era.ihda.org/ and click on Resources for a list of Community Agencies that can help.
Illinois Housing Development Authority Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMA)
IHDA (Illinois Housing Development Authority) developed the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMA) to support Illinois homeowners unable to pay their mortgages due to a COVID-19 related loss of
income. If approved, homeowners will receive a grant for up to $15,000 to cover missed mortgage payments beginning as early as March 2020 and prepay mortgage payments through December 2020, or until the $15,000 is exhausted. Not all
households will receive $15,000 and an application alone is not a guarantee of assistance. Assistance will be paid directly to the mortgage servicer on the homeowner’s behalf. The EMA program will only pay full mortgage payments; no partial payments will be made.
Application Period
Applications for EMA will be accepted August 24 thru September 4. Due to anticipated high volume, the application window may close early. IHDA will use a third-party entity to select a pool of
applications to be reviewed for eligibility. Approximately 10,000 homeowners are expected to receive funding. For more information and how to apply, visit their website.
Help Applying
If you need help applying for this program, IHDA has partnered with 62 Community and Outreach Assistance organizations, including the
Springfield Housing Authority who can assist you at no cost. For additional assistance you may call the Springfield Housing Authority at 217.753.5757
or IHDA’s call center at 312.883.2720, or toll-free at 888.252.1119. For those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, please contact Navicore Solutions for free assistance at 877.274.4309 (TTY).
The Illinois Department of Employment Security is accepting applications for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.
- Offers 4-year loans to companies employing up to 10,000 workers or with revenues of less than $2.5 billion in 2019 annual revenues.
- Principal and interest payments will be deferred for one year.
- Eligible banks may originate new Main Street loans or use Main Street loans to increase the size of existing loans to businesses.
- Banks will retain a 5 percent share, selling the remaining 95 percent to the Main Street facility, which will purchase up to $600 billion of loans.
- Minimum loan size of $1m.
- Maximum loan size that is the lesser of (i) $150 million, (ii) 30% of the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding and committed but undrawn bank debt, or (iii) an amount that, when added to the Eligible Borrower’s existing outstanding and committed but undrawn debt, does not exceed six times the Eligible Borrower’s 2019 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”);
- Firms seeking Main Street loans must commit to make reasonable efforts to maintain payroll and retain workers.
- Borrowers must also follow compensation, stock repurchase, and dividend restrictions that apply to direct loan programs under the CARES Act.
- Firms that have taken advantage of the PPP may also take out Main Street loans.
- Must be a business created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States with significant operations in and a majority of its employees based in the United States.
- Eligible Borrowers that participate in the Facility may not also participate in the MSNLF or the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility.
- Prepayment permitted without penalty.
Learn more, https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/Pages/learn-about-pua.aspx
Rental Assistance
Restaurant Revitalization Fund
The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open. Eligible entities include restaurants, food stands and trucks, caterers, bars, bakeries, wineries and more. This program will provide funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location.
Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023. Learn more,
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options/restaurant-revitalization-fund.
NEW – Shuttered Venue Operators Grant
Venues can now apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, including a second-draw PPP loan, and still apply for a shuttered venue grant, which opens on Thursday, April 8, 2021.
Apply for the PPP and get your forms ready to apply for the shuttered venue grant. More Info..
Save Small Business Fund
The Save Small Business Fund is a grant-making initiative offering short-term relief for small employers. The fund will make $5,000 grants to small businesses (3-20 employees) that have been harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A short application will go live on April 20, 2020, here.
Small Business COVID Relief Program
This new program was introduced by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. The Program is an impact investment loan program under which the State Treasurer would make up to $250 million in deposits available to financial institutions
throughout the state, at near-zero rates, to assist Illinois small business and non-profits negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this funding is to provide vital economic support to small businesses and non-profits
throughout Illinois to help overcome the loss of revenue they are experiencing. Click here to find out more.
US Small Business Administration Loans
To further meet the needs of U.S. small businesses and non-profits, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a number of programs for loans and debt relief.
NEW ROUND! Paycheck Protection Program provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
SBA is currently offering:
- Loans to businesses with fewer than 20 employees and sole proprietors only from February 24 through March 10, 2021
- First Draw PPP Loans for first time program participants.
- Second Draw PPP Loans beginning January 13, 2021 for certain businesses who have previously received a PPP loan.
SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program offers long-term, low interest assistance for a small business or non-profit. These loans can provide vital economic support to help alleviate temporary loss of revenue. EIDL assistance can be used to cover payroll and inventory, pay debt or fund other expenses. Additionally, the EIDL Advance will provide up to $10,000 ($1,000 per employee) of emergency economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties, and these emergency grants do not have to be repaid.
SBA’s Debt Relief program will pay 6 months of principal, interest, and any associated fees that borrowers owe for all current 7(a), 504, and Microloans in regular servicing status as well as new 7(a), 504, and Microloans disbursed prior to September 27, 2020.
Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) will use the $2.5 million Verizon funding to provide grants of up to $10,000 to businesses facing immediate financial pressure because of COVID-19, especially entrepreneurs of color,
women-owned businesses and other enterprises in historically underserved communities who don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital. Grant funds can be used for paying rent and utilities, meeting payroll, paying outstanding debt to vendors and other immediate operational costs.
- Each application will be scored by the responses given to each question. All applications that score at or above the pre-determined threshold will be placed into a lottery for selection. Notifications will be made on April 14 and then a second round of funding
will kick off that same day. Applicants meeting the threshold but not selected in round 1 will automatically be placed in the lottery for round 2.
- Apply today
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram