The deadline to apply for the COVID-19 Housing Assistance Grant is tomorrow, April 1st at 11:59 pm. Please use this link to the Emergency Housing Assistance from the City of Chicago for individuals and families impacted by the economic fallout due to Coronavirus. 

• Read in a different language? Translate the page by clicking the "Select Language" box at the top of the page. 

• Greater Chicago Food Depository
  • The majority of Greater Chicago Food Depository programs remain open. Find a nearby food program here. 
  • The Food Depository's benefits outreach team is available by phone to help Chicagoans apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid benefits.
  • For benefits outreach assistance, call 773.843.5416 or apply directly with the Illinois Department of Human Services at abe.illinois.gov.
     
• The Salvation Army
  • The Salvation Army's Metropolitan Division Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) will be providing mobile feeding services.
  • The Salvation Army's 19 Chicagoland food pantries remain open to provide curbside service and will continue to serve as a resource for anyone who needs assistance.
  • For more information on emergency assistance please call 773.725.1100 or visit salarmychicago.org/coronavirus.
     
• Department of Family & Support Services
  • If you are in need of Senior Services email Aging@CityofChicago.org or call 312.744.4016.
  • If you need Home-Delivered Meals, email SeniorMeals@CityofChicago.org or call 312.744.4016. 
  • In addition, Meals on Wheels will continue to operate and will provide meals to homebound seniors ages 60+.
  • For more information, click here. 
     
• Chicago Public Schools
  • All CPS schools are open Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to provide grab-and-go meals (breakfast and lunch). Families will receive three meals a day for each young person in the household.
  • If families have trouble getting to a site, call 773.553.KIDS or email familyservices@cps.edu to make a request for delivery. For more information, visit cps.edu/coronavirus.
  • Access the CPS Remote Learning Guide for Parents here. This document answers common questions parents/guardians might have. It also includes links to additional learning information for students.  
• Archdiocese of Chicago/Catholic Charities
  • Catholic Charities will continue to serve residents at their Food Pantries and Evening Meal Programs. To view a list of all Catholic Charities locations and phone numbers, click here.
  • To access other services, please call 312.655.7700. 

• Unlimited ride passes (1-,3-,7-, 30-day passes): Passes are only activated when tapped at a rail station or on a bus, so if you do not need to ride CTA using one of these passes, simply save your Ventra Card with inactive passes until things return to normal. You can log into your account online to see if you have any active or inactive passes.
   
• Deactivating autoload feature: If you have autoload enabled, you can easily deactivate this feature through the Ventra app or on our website (VentraChicago.com). And it's just as easy to re-activate autoload when things get back to normal.
   
• Pre-tax transit benefits: If you use your employer's pre-tax benefits program, you can contact your employer's administrator to turn off a 30-Day Pass or Transit Value deposits. These deposits generally occur on the 26th of each month. Please note that employers or third-party administrators may take some time to process your request.

• Go for a walk or run, but maintain physical distance from others while doing so.
• Walk their dog.
• Shop at the grocery stores that remain open, as long as you are not sick, and practice social distancing.
• Continue visiting the restaurants that remain open for pick-up and delivery.

• 60 years or over
• Are pregnant, or
• Have underlying medical conditions like heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes.

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or difficulty awakening the person
• Bluish lips or face

• Maintaining a distance of at least six feet from other individuals
• Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer
• Cover coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, and not shaking hands.

• Now through April 30, the city has relaxed enforcement for certain types of violations including city stickers, expired plates, street sweeping and residential parking permit violations.
• While the cIty has reduced its workforce related to parking meter enforcement, motorists are still required to pay for metered parking during this crisis.
• Failure to feed the meter may result in a ticket.

1. Post a sign(s) at the entrance(s) and throughout the store alerting customers they must follow the six-foot separation rule;
2. Announce social distancing expectations through your PA system periodically throughout the day;
3. Set up floor markers in your stores to show people how far apart they need to be from each other when waiting to check out;
4. Designate employee(s) to regularly walk the floors to ensure that customers are following social distancing rules and provide guidance as needed;
5. Place shield guards in front of the cashier and/or bagger that may not have the ability to stand six feet away from the customer;
6. Consider prohibiting the use of reusable bags until the emergency order is lifted;
7. Encourage the use of cashless purchases to reduce the danger of transmission through money;
8. If you have online delivery or curbside pickup capabilities, encourage your customers to use those methods before coming to the store; and
9. If you have self-checkout lanes, encourage their use to reduce the interaction between employees and consumers and also reduce the handling of money between consumers and employees.