Cook County could soon pay $1,000 to homeowners for property tax relief
Cook County approves $1,000 payments for struggling homeowners
Some Cook County homeowners have seen their property taxes skyrocket in recent years, and now, help may be on the way. County commissioners just approved a plan to offer one time $1,000 payments to residents hit hardest by the increases.
COOK CO., Ill. - Thousands of Cook County residents struggling to pay their rapidly increasing property tax bills could soon see relief thanks to a Cook County program.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners was expected to vote at its Thursday meeting on a contract with a company to administer the program.
The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Property tax relief
What we know:
Last October, the board approved the creation of a "homeowner relief fund" to help residents experiencing financial hardship because of significant property tax increases with one-time, unrestricted cash payments, according to county records.
The board allocated $15 million for the full program, with $13.6 million to be used for the cash payments and $1.4 million to be used to pay AidKit, Inc., a Denver-based company, to administer the program.
The county’s Bureau of Economic Development does not have the expertise or capacity to administer such a program, according to county documents.
Who would be eligible?
Dig deeper:
The payments are meant for residents who are struggling to pay their property tax bills.
More than 13,000 residents could benefit from the payments.
The Cook County Treasurer’s Office said the median tax bills for the 2023 tax year, which were billed in 2024, increased by just under 20%, the largest increase in nearly three decades.
Here is who would be eligible to apply for and receive payments:
- Households with income at or below 100% of the area median income for the applicant’s household size
- Homeowners whose property tax bill has increased by 50% or more in any year since tax year 2021.
What's next:
Commissioner Bridget Gainer’s (D-10th District) office said once the contract is approved by the board, it would take about eight weeks to develop the applications for the program.
Officials hope to launch the application in June and start sending out payments in August.