All housing financed under the Illinois Affordable Housing Program must meet a minimum standard of living requirement. In order for a program applicant to be eligible to receive funding to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, develop, operate, insure, or retain affordable single-family or multi-family housing, the applicant must demonstrate that each housing unit can provide and meet the following quality standards, as applicable:

1. (1) Cooling standards:

   1. (A) Housing must have cooling and dehumidification systems capable of being operated independently from the heating system.
   2. (B) Newly constructed housing must have permanent air conditioning.
   3. (C) All housing cooling and dehumidification systems must operate when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees.

2. (2) Heating standards during the heating season, October 1 through May 31, unless a unit of government has standards that require a higher temperature of heat, for all housing:

   1. (A) Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., heat must register at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees.
   2. (B) Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., heat must register at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
   3. (C) Housing must not have heat lapse longer than 24 hours.
   4. (D) Any tenant complaint about heating must be rectified within 24 hours.
3. (3) Windows must open and close with safety mechanisms installed and must be inspected on a regular basis.

4. (4) Maintenance and upkeep.

   1. (A) Housing, occupied primarily by persons 65 years of age or older or by persons with a disability, must provide laundry machines that are fully operational so that senior residents and residents with disabilities do not have to travel far for their laundry.
   2. (B) Premises of the single-family or multi-family housing must be kept fit for human habitation and must be kept reasonably clean and safe and free of trash and food waste.
   3. (C) Property manager must provide for control of insects, rodents, and other pests.
   4. (D) Property manager or maintenance personnel must respond within a reasonable amount of time (1-2 days) for tenant requests, including, but not limited to, appliances, windows, doors, and painting.
5. (5) Property management. Property management companies must adhere to compliance checks and tenant reviews.

(Source: P.A. 103-248, eff. 6-30-23.)