What is the Emergency Heating Repair Program?

The Emergency Heating Repair Program is an entitlement program administered by the city of Chicago to provide free grants to low-income residents to make repairs to heating systems. Owner-occupant households may receive grants up to $30,000 from the program.

To qualify for the program, applicants must earn less than 80 percent of the area's median income, adjusted for household size. In addition, applicants must not be in danger of foreclosure, must be current on utility bills and must have lived in the house for more than one year prior to application.

If the owner sells the unit within a year of receiving the grant, the owner must pay the grant back to the city of Chicago.