The Times Weekly – Newswire The bells will soon be ringing, as the first of The Salvation Army’s Red Kettles were brought out in Chicago and the suburbs on Monday, November 8. Bell ringers will collect donations at the iconic Red Kettles, beginning at area Jewel-Osco and Hobby Lobby stores this week. The Red Kettle campaign kicks off as thousands of Illinoisans are still experiencing the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and struggling to stay in their homes. More than 200,000 households in Illinois are behind on rent, according to Policy Link. The Salvation Army has seen an increase in requests for emergency financial assistance in the last 18 months, a need that’s only expected to grow substantially since the lifting of the state’s eviction moratorium last month.
Homes
FEMA Changing Rules That Have Historically Deprived African Americans of Crucial Aid
NNPA NEWSWIRE — As floodwaters and the after-effects of Hurricane Ida ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi, and eventually wreaked havoc in the northeast, FEMA officials announced that there will be significant changes in how they verify the ownership status of disaster relief applicants, noting that the objective in making the changes is to better assist applicants whose property was inherited without a will.
Will County Executive reminds residents of rental assistance ahead of eviction moratorium expiration
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant is reminding tenants and landlords of financial assistance available to residents ahead of the Oct. 3 expiration of the Illinois eviction moratorium. Will County COMEBACK Grant funding is available to tenants, landlords, and homeowners who are impacted by economic hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pritzker announces $327 million in Household Assistance Available for low-income families in Illinois
Governor JB Pritzker today joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and community partners to announce $327 million in Help Illinois Families assistance now available through the Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG). The program offers expanded services to support Illinois’ most vulnerable residents with rent, utilities, food and other household expenses regardless of immigration status.
Will County leads national panel on pandemic rental assistance
Will County Board Member Denise Winfrey (Joliet) will moderate a panel on Friday that will examine best practices for counties across the United States that are administering Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) for individuals who face housing insecurity because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The panel is hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) of which Winfrey is the First Vice President.
Will County delivered over 85% of rental assistance
TTW Press Room
Will County was highlighted by the White House for rapidly delivering rental assistance to tenants in the county, staving off evictions as the pandemic upended the economy and threatened housing stability for many renters. The county was one of 22 state and local governments that were highlighted by the Biden Administration for delivering 85% or more of their rental assistance funds by the end of July. “The population of Will County has grown substantially over the last couple of decades, so the County Board was talking about housing before the pandemic shot a hole through the economy,” said Will County Board Speaker Mimi Cowan (Naperville). “When the layoffs started and businesses shut down, we knew we needed to act swiftly to stabilize the rental market both for tenants and landlords.”
White House lauds Will County for speedy delivery of rental assistance
Will County was highlighted by the White House for rapidly delivering rental assistance to tenants in the county, staving off evictions as the pandemic upended the economy and threatened housing stability for many renters
United Nations Issues ‘Code Red’ for Humanity in Climate Crisis
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Two hundred and thirty-four authors from 66 countries analyzed more than 14,000 scientific reports about climate change for the report, which officials will present during climate talks later this year. The report came as the Biden-Harris administration announced three pre-disaster funding opportunities to help states and communities prepare for significant disasters they said are costing lives and livelihoods and devastating local communities and businesses.
Will We Ever Learn to Live with Germs Again?
NNPA NEWSWIRE – As stores and online shops continue to sell out of items quickly and routinely like Lysol, bleach and other disinfectants, health experts now fear that all the cleaning solutions used during the pandemic can threaten people’s health.

