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Lake County to pass through $2 million Healthy Houses grant to reimburse landlords for HVAC upgrades
Summary
Lake County accepted a $2 million Healthy Houses award from the Illinois DCEO to reimburse landlords for eligible HVAC improvements on affordable rental properties (up to six units per property) serving tenants at or below 80% AMI; the county will open applications and prioritize readiness.
Lake County's Health & Community Services Committee approved an emergency appropriation on Feb. 3 to accept $2,000,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's Healthy Houses Program, which will reimburse private landlords for eligible HVAC improvements at affordable rental properties.
"$2,000,000, all but 50,000 will be passed through onto the community," Community Development Director Dominic Strezzo told the committee, adding the county expects to open an application window by the end of the month. Eligible properties may include up to six units each and tenants must document household income at or below 80% of area median income to qualify.
Strezzo said the program will prioritize projects based on need, age of the HVAC system, tenant income and landlord readiness; the county has until June 2027 to spend the funds. He noted that income documentation is often the most difficult part of landlord participation and that the county will work with existing landlord outreach networks, including the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless, to get the word out.
Committee members expressed support and asked whether the program would meaningfully encourage landlords to participate. Strezzo said the program is intended to improve existing housing conditions rather than directly incentivize landlords to accept new tenant types.
The committee approved the appropriation by voice vote.
