GLENVIEW – To offer support to working class families and communities of color in Illinois, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is drawing attention to the new SmartBuy mortgage and student loan assistance program.

“Young people—and especially young people of color—face disproportionately higher barriers to homeownership, including burdensome student loan debt,” said Senator Fine. “The SmartBuy program can help give prospective homebuyers a boost and begin to bridge the historical disparities in access to housing opportunities.”

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) launched the SmartBuy program Dec. 1, 2020. The program offers a safe, affordable 30-year fixed rate first mortgage with $5,000 in assistance to be used toward a down payment and/or closing costs. In addition, the program will provide 15% of the purchase price, or up to $40,000, in student loan debt relief to borrowers.

To qualify for SmartBuy, potential borrowers must have at least $1,000 in student loan debt and must pay off their full remaining student loan balance at closing. The program also requires a FICO mid-score of at least 640, and applicants must meet certain income and purchase price requirements.

SmartBuy was created using appropriations allocated to IHDA in the historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, and is expected to assist approximately 500 to 1000 borrowers.

Learn more about SmartBuy and find a list of SmartBuy approved loan vendors at www.ihdamortgage.org/smartbuy.

DANVILLE – Giving Tuesday is Dec. 1, and State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is encouraging those who are able to give back to their communities on this charitable occasion.

“As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, so does the need for help from local charitable organizations,” Bennett said. “There’s something everyone can do to help, whether it is donating to a good cause, volunteering your time to help others in our community, or simply showing acts of kindness.”

Giving Tuesday, created in 2012 as a day to encourage people to do good, has since grown into a global movement for charitable giving on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

Bennett encourages folks willing and able to consider reaching out to a local charitable organization to ask how they can help. These organizations may include animal shelters, blood banks, or other groups serving children and youth, artists, small businesses, restaurant workers, homeless individuals, and more.

Additionally, Bennett is hosting two drives to benefit those in Champaign and Vermilion Counties, which supports the Giving Tuesday initiative.

Bennett’s Champaign office is collecting new backpacks, hygiene supplies, long underwear, and socks for C-U at Home through Friday, Dec. 18. A collection box is located outside of his office in Champaign, located at 45 E. University, Suite 206.

Bennett’s Danville office is collecting homemade and store-bought cards, to help spread some holiday cheer, which will be sent to the residents at Gardenview Manor and Danville Care Center. Cards can be delivered to the collection box outside of Bennett’s Danville office, located at 201 N. Vermilion St., Suite 323 through Monday, Dec. 14.

For more information on Bennett’s holiday drives, contact his Champaign office at 217-355-5252 or Danville office at 217-442-5252. For more information on the Giving Tuesday initiative, visit https://hq.givingtuesday.org.

PARK FOREST – As local organizations across the state band together once again to promote charitable giving, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is encouraging those who are able to give back to their communities this Giving Tuesday.

“Many charitable organizations are having a hard time serving those in need amid the pandemic,” Joyce said. “Fortunately, the pandemic is motivating a lot of generosity, and with Giving Tuesday underway, I hope people will find creative ways to give back this holiday season to help those struggling.”

Giving Tuesday, created in 2012 as a day to encourage people to do good, has since grown into a global movement for charitable giving on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

CHICAGO – With $50 million in funding available through the Connect Illinois broadband expansion program starting Dec. 1, 2020, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) urged small businesses and residents to see if they qualify for help with their internet.

“With more of our lives taking place online during the pandemic, reliable Internet access is more important than ever,” Villanueva said. “I encourage small business owners, students and all community members to take advantage of this opportunity to get connected.”

Funding for the Connect Illinois program is made possible through the Rebuild Illinois statewide construction program, which dedicates $420 million to broadband infrastructure. Individual projects can receive up to $5 million.

The application for this round of grants will remain open through March 2021. More information and applications can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website.

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. — As the cold winter months begin and the COVID-19 pandemic continues, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) and State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) urged Gov. JB Pritzker to establish a new moratorium against utility shut-offs. 

“The high cost associated with electricity and gas bills during the winter months are already difficult for so many at-risk families — the addition of layoffs stemming from the ongoing public health crisis will make it even harder,” Morrison said. “No one should have to worry about how to keep their family safe and warm. A warm home is a basic human necessity that absolutely no one should have to go without.”

Johnson and Morrison, alongside other members of the Illinois Senate, sent Pritzker a letter Monday, urging him to establish a moratorium against utility shut-offs this winter. Although the Illinois Commerce Commission previously negotiated a voluntary moratorium with some companies — it’s not mandatory, nor have all companies signed on. The members of the Senate who sent the letter told the governor Illinois residents need assurances that they will continue to have heat, even if the pandemic causes them financial hardship. 

“Families are already coping with the stress of potentially becoming ill from COVID-19. We must alleviate further potential illness stemming from a lack of proper heat,” Johnson said. “We, as Illinoisans, must continue to be nationwide leaders who show that we will prioritize every person’s needs — regardless of financial background, race or ZIP code.” 

Morrison and Johnson urge Pritzker to immediately create a utility moratorium plan.

SPRINGFIELD – Several Illinois state senators are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker to introduce a new moratorium on utility disconnections, as Illinois enters the dangerously cold part of the winter and the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated economic impact continue.

“We appreciate that the governor has continued his moratorium on evictions, but in Illinois, a home without heat is not a safe home in the winter,” said State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview). “We need to ensure that everyone continues to have a safe place to live until this crisis has passed.”

DES PLAINES – To help patients in need of donated blood and support efforts to find an effective treatment for COVID-19, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is hosting a blood drive Tuesday, Dec. 8 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Prairie Lakes Community Center, located at 515 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, blood donations hit a critical low, putting thousands of Illinoisans at risk,” Murphy said. “Now, blood donation is even more important, as researchers think it may have potential as a COVID-19 treatment. I urge anyone who is able to donate to make an appointment.”

All successful blood donations will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies. Researchers hope blood containing antibodies—also known as convalescent plasma—may help treat people with severe COVID-19 by boosting their ability to fight the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 17.2 million units of blood are used in transfusions every year for accident victims, cancer patients, hemophiliacs, surgery patients and more. In March, the CDC issued a statement encouraging healthy people to donate blood at blood centers that adhere to public health and safety guidelines.

Murphy has partnered with Versiti Blood Center of Illinois to host the event. To ensure the safety of all staff and donors, masks will be required.

Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins may be accommodated. To schedule an appointment to donate, visit http://bit.ly/BloodDrive-12-8-20.

CHAMPAIGN – As snow-and-ice season nears, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) joins the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Police in reminding drivers to take steps to prepare themselves to navigate the winter driving season safely.

“Winter weather can be unpredictable, so it’s important to check current road conditions before heading out,” Bennett said. “If you don’t need to be on the roads, consider canceling your travel plans. If you can’t avoid driving, plan ahead and make sure you have an emergency kit in your vehicle.”