Our area has certainly been impacted by the recent flooding and there are many Freeport residents that have not received assistance or have not had access to a program to apply for assistance. Our local Realtor® Association- The Realtor® Association of Northwestern Illinois along with the Rockford Area Realtors® and Illinois Realtors® have teamed up to provide $25,000 in grant assistance for Stephenson and Winnebago county flood victims.
The grant is made available through the Illinois Realtors® Relief Foundation or IRRF. IRRF is a 501(c)(3) organization that receives tax deductible donations from Realtors® and others to assist disaster victims throughout Illinois. If you would like to make a donation or would like more information on the Realtors® Relief Foundation you can visit their website at: www.illinoisrealtors.org/about/foundations/irrf.
As I have said many times throughout my columns, real estate is local. Our local Realtors® live and work here and we do more than just list and sell real estate. We are champions and protectors of property rights and we take pride in our community. When our local residents are affected by a disaster such as the recent flooding we want to help our neighbors. We want to encourage anyone in Stephenson or Winnebago County that has been affected by the flooding to apply for this assistance and as local Realtors® we are here to help you through the process.
Each applicant can request up to $500 in grant money which can be used to pay expenses like a mortgage payment, rental fees for temporary shelter and unreimbursed losses directly related to the flooding such as an insurance deductible. The grants are first come, first serve so we highly encourage you to apply as soon as possible and the deadline to apply is September 30, 2019.
There are some additional requirements to receive grant money such as you must be a US Citizen or legally admitted for residence in the US. An applicant will be required to submit documentation for proof of residency such as a driver’s license as well as a copy of a mortgage statement or rent statement or lease or an insurance estimate for damage or a replacement estimate in order to apply.
The application and complete requirements for the grant money can be found online either by searching the Illinois Realtors® Relief Foundation or at: www.cognitoforms.com/IllinoisAssociationOfRealtorsReliefFoundation. If you have questions or need help completing the application, please contact local Illinois Realtors® Government Affairs Director, Neeley Erickson at 815-395-6751 or email her at nerickson@illinoisrealtors.org.