Energy Efficiency Trust Fund Grant Program
🏛 Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
✓ Free, no account · Source: Illinois GATA Catalog (CSFA) · Last verified Jun 1, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for public housing authorities, units of local government, and nonprofits implementing energy efficiency upgrades at properties serving low-income housing residents.
Applicants must have completed an energy efficiency assessment by a third-party assessor within five years. Projects are capped at 40 dwelling units per location with maximum costs of $20,000 per unit.
Common spaces and health/safety improvements cannot exceed 20% of total funding requested. Eligible improvements include insulation, windows, HVAC retrofits, hot water equipment, lighting, appliances, and thermostats.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Program description
Illinois EPA Office of Energy is offering funding to public housing authorities, units of local government (municipalities, counties or townships), or nonprofit organizations for implementation of energy efficiency improvements benefiting federal, state, or local public housing programs, housing choice vouchers, rental assistance, or subsidized housing assistance programs. Funding will be awarded for projects of up to 40 (forty) dwelling units per location, with costs not to exceed $20,000 per dwelling unit. Upgrades to common spaces or health and safety improvements must not exceed 20% of the total funding request. The proposed improvement projects must include upgrades identified in an energy efficiency assessment conducted by a third-party assessor within the last five (5) years. The Energy Efficiency Trust Fund Grant Program supports energy efficiency improvements at properties serving residents receiving housing assistance. Investments at project properties will reduce energy cost burden on low-income households and supports building resiliency. Eligible projects include but are not limited to:
o Building envelope insulation
o Window replacement
o Space heating and cooling equipment retrofit
o Heating and cooling distribution system retrofit
o Domestic hot water equipment
o Lighting upgrades (indoor and/or outdoor)
o High-Efficiency appliance replacement
o Programmable thermostats
o Energy metering changes Beneficiaries: N/A Administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency via the Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA 532-00-2722).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- Affordable Housing Developer
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Public Authority
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Completed application form
- Energy efficiency assessment (third-party, within 5 years)
- Project budget and cost breakdown
- Evidence of cost-sharing commitment
- Documentation of housing assistance program participation
- Letters of support from property owners or management
Program contact
- 👤 Rebecca Luke
- 📧 rebecca.j.luke@illinois.gov
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Illinois state appropriations. How funding has trended year over year.
| 2023 | $2,000,000 | |
| 2024 | $5,000,000 | |
| 2025 | $5,000,000 | |
| 2026 | $10,000,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Public housing authorities, municipalities, counties, townships, and nonprofits can apply. Your organization must serve low-income housing residents.
How much funding can we request?
Awards range from $25,000 to $500,000. Costs cannot exceed $20,000 per dwelling unit for up to 40 units per location.
What improvements are eligible?
Building envelope insulation, window replacement, HVAC retrofits, hot water equipment, lighting upgrades, appliances, and thermostats are all eligible.
Do we need an energy assessment first?
Yes. You must have a third-party energy efficiency assessment completed within the last five years before applying.
Is cost sharing required?
Yes, cost sharing is required. Your organization must contribute matching funds to this grant.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Get your third-party energy assessment done early. This is a hard requirement, not optional.
- Calculate your project costs carefully using the $20,000-per-unit cap as your planning anchor.
- Clearly document how your improvements serve residents in federal, state, or local housing assistance programs.
- Keep common area and health/safety work to 20% or less of your total request to stay compliant.
- Show how cost sharing funds are secured before you submit your application.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications rejected when energy assessment is missing or older than five years. Proposals fail when requested costs exceed $20,000 per unit or serve more than 40 units per location. Common spaces/health improvements exceeding 20% of budget make applications ineligible.
Similar grants
- ROLLING Energy Efficiency Assessment Program — Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
- ROLLING Iowa Energy Saving Loans — Iowa Economic Development Authority
- OPEN Illinois Climate Pollution Reduction Grants: Stretch Code Adoption Grant Application – Fourth Round — IFA
- OPEN Community Development Block Grant Housing Rehabilitation Program — Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- ROLLING Line Item – Capital Grants – IDNR (FY25) — Illinois Department of Natural Resources