The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the housing and economic security of Illinois residents.

The legal aid community is ready to provide COVID help.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a record number of Illinois residents are facing a threat to their housing and economic security.

Stop-gap measures–like a moratorium on evictions, debt collection, and one-time economic stimulus payments–have staved off the most devastating consequences of the crisis for a while. But these temporary measures are now disappearing.

COVID HELP is here.

A tsunami of legal troubles is about to hit Illinoisans. Low-income and newly impoverished Illinois families will have to face life-altering difficulties related to housing, employment, income, debt and loss of a loved one.

The legal aid community has prepared for this situation and is ready to help.

Thanks to the generous support of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, and the strong teamwork of the Illinois legal aid community, COVID HELP is here to assist Illinoisans facing these legal issues.

COVID HELP is a free tool for people in Illinois who are facing housing and employment and other economic problems because of COVID-19. It’s help available online, all day and every day, and it’s managed by a team of lawyers from nonprofit legal aid organizations across the state. COVID HELP provides virtual assistance to solve real problems.

COVID HELP (Housing and Economic Loss Prevention) is a joint project of CARPLS Legal Aid, a nonprofit legal aid organization in Illinois, and other Illinois legal aid agencies that understand the cascade of legal problems the pandemic has unleashed on Illinois families.

COVID HELP provides a reliable, secure, online access point to legal information on the most common legal concerns caused by the pandemic. Through confidential exchanges with a suite of legal virtual assistants, developed and programmed by legal aid professionals, you will learn more about legal solutions to your problem, be directed to accurate and on point legal information and online resources, and be connected to legal aid organizations in your geographic area that provide help on your type of legal issue.

COVID HELP has legal virtual assistants in the following subject areas ready to help you:
Consumer (including bankruptcy)
Employment
Unemployment
Housing (including eviction and foreclosure)
Probate (estate planning, estates and guardianships)

Our partners include:

• CARPLS Legal Aid
• Center for Conflict Resolution
• Center for Disability & Elder Law
• Chicago Bar Foundation
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
• Greater Chicago Legal Clinic
• Illinois Legal Aid Online
• Land of Lincoln Legal Aid
• Lawyers Committee for Better Housing
• Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois
• Legal Aid Chicago
• Legal Aid Society
• Prairie State Legal Services
• Rentervention
• Upsolve
• West Side Justice Center

When time is precious, and legal issues are pressing in, COVID HELP is here for you.
Start Here.

For media inquiries, please contact Nicole NeSmith at nnesmith@carpls.org. 

COVID HELP Illinois is the 2021 Louis M. Brown Select Award winner. The Louis M. Brown Award honors the work of those who advance the mission of improving access to legal services for those of moderate incomes in ways that are remarkable and replicable.