Lake County Awarding HVAC Improvement Grants for Income-Qualified Rental Units

Lake County Community Development is now accepting grant applications for its Healthy Houses program. This program will award funding to support Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) upgrades for qualifying rental units.

Owners of income-eligible rental properties in Lake County will be eligible to apply. Eligibility includes properties with six units or less and renters earning 80% or less of the area’s Average Median Income (AMI). The grant funding would be used to replace or repair the HVAC units within the rental properties. Funding will be awarded as a five-year forgivable loan issued to the property owner, with owners agreeing to keep income-eligible tenants in the units for the entire loan period.

Lake County Community Development was awarded a $2 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to fund the Healthy Houses program, advancing the County’s strategic priority of promoting healthy and inclusive communities. The DCEO grant is anticipated to cover the cost of approximately 50 HVACs for multi-family rental units.

Rental property owners interested in applying for a Healthy Houses Program Grant can fill out the Interest Form. All applications must be submitted via the online portal. The deadline to apply is April 2, or until all funding has been allocated.

Questions can be submitted to healthyhouses@lakecountyil.gov. More information about the Healthy Houses program can be found on our website.