Housing Programs and Neighborhood Services

Given the increasing number of condominium and townhome associations in the community, and requests made to Village staff, programs have been developed specifically for condominium associations. The following free programs are designed to teach good governance practices and strengthen Oak Park’s associations:

Condominium Management Program: The Village has partnered with the Oak Park Residence Corporation to provide one-on-one assistance to small condominium associations with fewer than 12 units. The Residence Corporation will work with individual associations to assess their capacity to manage their association and to build their capacity. Services may include helping to learn how to budget for contingencies, how to conduct meetings and elections, and how to ensure the association is fully protected, topics which may also be covered during monthly seminars. A listing of the 2024 Online Seminar Schedule is available by clicking here. For more information about the Small Condo Management Program or attending the seminars, call 708.386.6061 or email bswaggerty@oakparkrc.com.

Click here to watch a video of a training session

The Village has grant programs designed to provide up to $10,000 in financial assistance to very-low and low-income Oak Park residents seeking to reduce their home’s consumption of energy, and owners of apartment buildings of up to 7 units.

The program is designed to support the installation of insulation, energy efficient lighting, upgraded water heaters, high-efficiency shower/faucet upgrades, improved air sealing, thermostat upgrades and solar panels.

The installation or upgrade of heating, venting or air conditioning and geothermal installation is also eligible.

A residential energy assessment and permits and inspections are required for all energy upgrades listed in the program guidelines.

For more information about how to apply for this new grant program, please contact the Development Customer Services Department’s Neighborhood Services Division at 708-358-5410.

• Click here for the application form
• Click here to view the single-family rehabilitation energy efficiency grant guidelines and agreement
• Click here to view the small rental rehabilitation energy efficiency grant guidelines and agreement
• Click here to view solar panel installation guidelines

The Village has  grant programs designed to provide up to $10,000 in financial assistance to all residential homeowners and multifamily building owners for the cost saving and comfort benefits of tenants.

The grants are designed to support a wide range of energy upgrades and retrofits, including the installation of solar panels, installation of geothermal, insulation and energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for homeowners and residential apartment owners.

A residential energy assessment and permits and inspections are required for all energy upgrades listed in the program guidelines.

• Click here for the application form
• Click here to view solar panel installation guidelines - Funding for this grant program has been exhausted. This portion of the grant program is currently closed. Check back here to learn if the program has been re-opened.
• Click here to view the Residential Energy Efficiency Grant guidelines and agreement - Funding for this grant program has been exhausted. This portion of the grant program is currently closed. Check back here to learn if the program has been re-opened.
• Click here to view the Multifamily Energy Efficiency Grant guidelines and agreement - Funding for this grant program has been exhausted. This portion of the grant program is currently closed. Check back here to learn if the program has been re-opened.

The Village of Oak Park partners with the West Cook Homeownership Center, a HUD Certified counseling agency, to hold first-time homebuyer seminars. Anyone interested in learning more about buying a home and securing a mortgage is invited to attend a free seminar, held at 7 p.m. in Village Hall, 123 Madison St., the fourth Tuesday of each month. For more information, call the West Cook Homeownership Center at 708.771.5801 or visit www.WestCookHomeownership.org.

Click here for more information about upcoming First-Time Home Buyer Assistance seminars.

One-on-one foreclosure prevention counseling is available via a toll-free, telephone hotline sponsored by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The hotline, 1.888.995.HOPE, is intended for homeowners in the early stages of mortgage difficulties – before foreclosure becomes the only remaining option. For more information on assistance programs available to Oak Park residents, call 708.358.5410 or email housing@oak-park.us

The Neighborhood Services Department acts on reports of graffiti and oversees its removal from public property, including contacting other public agencies when their properties are involved. If the graffiti is on private property, staff will contact the owner and request removal. Community Relations also can provide graffiti removal solution to property owners at no cost. Click here for more information on local anti-graffiti laws and directions on how to report it.

Every dwelling unit in Oak Park is required have properly installed and maintained heating facilities. The equipment must be capable of safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms to a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit at a distance of two to five feet above floor level when the outside temperature is minimum 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Landlords must furnish heat to all dwelling units from September 15 through May 15. An average minimum temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit must be maintained from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and 65 degrees Fahrenheit from 11 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

Gas or electric appliances designed primarily for cooking or heating water and portable heating equipment that uses flame and liquid fuel or coal cannot be used to provide the heat.

Complaints may be made by calling 708.358.5410 or email to propertyissues@oak-park.us.

The Village of Oak Park is an active member of the Oak Park Homeless Coalition, an alliance of local businesses, government and service agencies working together to end homelessness in the community. The coalition works to educate residents, visitors and businesses about the issue of homelessness and the resources available for people in need of assistance.

The Village has created a landing page with information and resources for unhoused individuals in the community. Click here to learn more. 

Oak Park was one of the first municipalities in the country to adopt and enforce its own Fair Housing Ordinance. Chapter 13 of the Village Code protects the rights of individuals within the classes of race, sex, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, marital status, familial status, disability, or source of income in the purchasing, leasing, securing a loan, renting or occupying housing or other real estate. Any person otherwise qualified who is denied or discriminated against in these processes should contact the Community Relations Department for more information, conciliation or to file a formal, written complaint. Click here to learn more.

The Village of Oak Park Water Distribution and Neighborhood Services divisions are developing a program to replace lead water service lines with copper water service lines. A free replacement program is being offered by the Village and a Community Development Block Grant to individuals who may not be able to afford it through conventional means.

There is no cost to participate in the program for those who qualify. Replacement is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. An existing lead or galvanlized steel water pipe will be replaced with a 1" copper pipe. The Village will hire the contractor and oversee the work, which is typically completed in one day. 

In order to qualify for participation in the program, the following conditions must be met:

1. Verify that the owner side service line is made of lead or galvanized material. If you are unsure, click here to view information on how to identify a lead water service pipe.
2. Household income does not exceed program limits. An income table is pictured below.

For more information, or with questions, please call 708.358.5413 or email housing@oak-park.us.

The Multi-Family Housing Incentives Program is designed to encourage fair housing practices, expand housing options for all prospective renters and improve the quality of multi-family units and dwellings. Qualified applicants of muti-family buildings containing four or more apartments may apply for the following types of incentives:

• Matching Grant program: Grants up to $10,000. Grants must be matched 2:1 by the owner of the building. Vacant units must be affirmatively marketed for three years by the Village’s designated marketing agent, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center.
   
• Rental Reimbursement: Targeted buildings with a history of marketing difficulties may apply for a one-year contract to receive rental reimbursement for vacant units being affirmatively marketed by the Village’s designated marketing agent, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center.
   
• Marketing Services Agreement: Building owners apply to enter into a one-year agreement to make A good faith effort to affirmatively market units by the Village’s designated marketing agent, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center.

Click here to review the program guidelines. For more information, call 708.358.5410 or email housing@oak-park.us.

Click here for 2023 Multi-Family Housing Incentive Program grant application

• Click here for specific information about the Multi-Family Housing Incentive Program grant application process

Division personnel annually inspect the exteriors of the Village's single-family, two-flat and three-flat residences looking for deterioration and deferred maintenance to prevent possible health and safety problems and maintain the Village's high property values and attractive appearance. Through the Neighborhood Walk program, Village inspectors guard Oak Park's aging housing stock from decay, and encourage maintenance of all residential properties.

Each year, approximately one third of the Village's housing stock is inspected through the program. Property maintenance inspectors, on foot, check for code violations such as peeling paint, crumbling chimneys, sagging eaves and missing downspouts. Other examples of violations identified through the walk include rotted wood, missing handrails, garages in need of repair, improper parking surfaces and abandoned vehicles. Inspectors also check for construction without permits. In addition, inspectors look for maintenance and safety issues such as debilitated siding, dangerous stairs, broken windows and missing street addresses that must be posted in the front and rear (with alley access) of each property to ensure identification by emergency services personnel.

Property owners are notified by letter if repairs must be made, and given a timetable for re-inspection. Residents who need more time to correct a violation should contact the inspector who signed the letter to set up a maintenance schedule and budget.

RainReady Oak Park is a grant program that helps homeowners use smart landscaping to manage rain at their property. The program is funded by the Village of Oak Park.

Residents can sign up to be notified when the program application opens by e-mailing housing@oak-park.us. While only a limited number of grants are available, applicants who aren’t selected are put on a waiting list for the following year. 

All owners of rental housing in Oak Park must obtain a license from the Village. Follow these three easy steps to obtain or renew a license:

1. Submit a completed license application [PDF]
2. Pay the license fee:
   • $10 per unit, for buildings of three or fewer rental units, or
   • $20 per unit, for buildings of four or more rental units.
3. Participate in a management seminar, either in-person or online, within one year.  This requirement must be fulfilled with each license renewal.

Mail your application and fee in one envelope to Development Customer Services, Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison St., Oak Park, IL 60302, ATTN: Multi-Family Rental License.

With the new VillageView portal, it is now easier than ever to obtain or renew your license online.  From the portal home page, simply click on Business and Rental Applications under Licensing to create an account or log in. Then select Rental Dwelling License in the drop down box under Choose the License Type in Step 1 of the license application. In addition, you'll need to scan and upload your completed license application. Using VillageView will allow you to submit required documents and check the status of your application at any time. In the future, license renewal will be faster and you will be able to pay your fee online.

Remember, all leases in Oak Park must include the mandatory lease provisions.

Oak Park residents age 60 and older can get help with simple home maintenance repairs through North West Housing Partnership. Fees are either $20, $30 or $40 an hour depending on incomes. Repairs are done by insured, reliable professionals. Examples of eligible work include:

• Repairing screens, faucets, sinks, soffits, toilets and windows
• Installing grab bars, door locks, ceiling fans, light fixtures and shelves
• Hanging curtains and pictures
• Gutter cleaning

Call 847.969.0561 or email michellehill@nwhp.net for more information.

North West Housing Partnership is a Housing and Urban Development approved housing counseling agency. Funding for portions of the senior handyman program is provided by the Village of Oak Park, Village of River Forest and Oak Park and River Forest Townships.

Click here to view a program flyer with income scale

Oak Parkers with qualifying incomes who own and live in single-family houses are eligible for federally funded rehabilitation home loans. Designed to improve the Village's housing stock, the loans are intended to bring structures into compliance with housing and building codes and to eliminate health and safety hazards. Funds also may be used for weatherization and to provide accessibility for the disabled. Eligibility for the loans is determined by income limits set for the Chicago area by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The loan programs include the following:

• Deferred-payment, no-interest loans: For low-income owners, loans of up to $25,000 repayable after 20 years.
   
• Emergency loans: No-interest loans of up to $5,000 repayable after five years to correct single emergencies and emergency code violations such as furnace replacement.

​More rehab loan program information:

• Program Guidelines
• Income Limits
• Program information flyer

For application information, call 708.358.5410 or email housing@oak-park.us.

The Village of Oak Park uses Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to rehabilitate affordable rental housing units. Property must be either a single-family detached rental dwelling or a multi-family rental building with fewer than eight units.  A minimum project budget is $2,000 per rental unit and the maximum is up to $5,000 per rental unit inclusive of contingency. Priority is given to applications with units having three or more bedrooms. Property owners are required to commit or leverage a minimum 25 percent of the total project cost. Property owners must abide by all terms of the forgivable mortgage and the Small Rental Rehabilitation Program Loan Commitment and Agreement for five years. During this period, property owners agree that at least 51 percent of units will be rented to tenants with household incomes at or below 80 percent of the area median income for Cook County.  The maximum rent charged cannot exceed the most current rent limits published by HUD for the Chicago/Naperville/Joliet area depending on the income level of the applicant. A Request for Applications is issued annually. For application information, call 708.358.5410 or email housing@oak-park.us.

• Program Guidelines
• Income & Rent Limits