CGG Law | Foreclosure support | Path three
Plan your next home
Planning housing does not mean someone must leave, and it does not mean legal options are exhausted. Some people plan a next home as a backup while they explore keeping this one; others plan it alongside a sale. A plan is a way to breathe.
A court or sale deadline may continue while you use this page. Do not wait for this page or a reply if a deadline is approaching; seek prompt legal help.
One path, not an instruction. Nothing on this page tells you to leave, or when. Dates that affect possession come from court orders and notices, and a lawyer can explain what they mean. The three paths on these pages are choices to read about, and no number from the calculator points to any of them.
If you need a place to stay soon
Housing navigation for Chicago and suburban Cook County. Availability is not guaranteed. These links lead to independent providers, which have their own eligibility rules and privacy practices.
Chicago shelter placement through 311
In Chicago, a request for shelter placement is made by calling 311. Chicago Public Schools’ page on students in temporary living situations describes the same route and the supports available to families with students.
- 311 within Chicago
- 312-744-5000 the 311 line from outside Chicago or from a mobile phone that does not connect to 311
Placement depends on what is available at the time; it is not guaranteed.
Navigation to food, housing, utilities, health and other help across Chicago and suburban Cook County, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- 211 call
- 773-362-4401 alternative number
You can also text your ZIP code to 898-211. 211 connects you with programs; it does not promise funding or a place.
ILHousingSearch.org rental listings
An Illinois listing service for rental housing, including affordable and accessible units.
Listings for Illinois only; the site may ask you to create an account for some features. This is not emergency shelter.
A rebuilding checklist
Gathered a little at a time, these make a move, and the months after it, easier. They are just as useful if you never move.
- Essential documents. Identification, Social Security cards, birth certificates, insurance cards, medical and prescription records, school records, and the mortgage and court papers. Keep copies, on paper or photographed, somewhere you can always reach.
- Transport. How you, and anyone who depends on you, would get to work, school and appointments from a different address.
- Pets. Who could take them in for a time, and which housing allows them.
- School. A change of address does not have to mean a change of school. Chicago Public Schools supports students in temporary living situations; its page is linked above.
- Accessibility. Any need for a ground floor, an elevator, a ramp, a quiet environment or nearness to care.
- Budget. A deposit, the first month, moving costs and utility connections, written down and compared with the monthly picture from the calculator.
- Rebuilding. A review of your credit reports, a plan for bills and debts, and the free worksheets below.
Ask a lawyer about possession deadlines
If a court case exists, the dates that affect who may stay in the home come from the court’s orders and from notices served on you. Those dates are not always what a letter or a neighbor suggests. An attorney can read them, explain what each one means and tell you what can still be asked for. Reviewing them does not commit you to leaving.
Housing counseling and legal help
A HUD-approved housing counselor can help with an application to your servicer and with questions about rental housing; legal aid can review possession deadlines and notices. Whether a program can help, and whether a person fits its rules, depends on the program and the provider.
HUD-approved housing counseling
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can review your situation, explain options with your servicer and help with paperwork.
- 800-569-4287 HUD housing counseling line
Foreclosure counseling from a HUD-approved counselor is free, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Which counselors are available, and how soon, varies by provider.
Illinois Legal Aid Online: get legal help
A starting point for finding free or low-cost legal help in Illinois, with guides and a way to apply.
Using the site or applying is not acceptance by any legal aid organization; each one decides whom it can help.
Budgeting and rebuilding
Free worksheets for cash flow, bills, debt and a credit review, from a federal agency.
Your Money, Your Goals toolkit (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)
Free worksheets from a federal agency for cash flow, prioritizing bills, dealing with debt and reviewing your credit reports.
Emotional support
A possible move is stressful for everyone in a household. Support for that is ordinary, and worth having.
Emotional support and mental-health navigation for Chicago and suburban Cook County.
- 833-626-4244 call or text; you can also text HELPLINE
Weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is ordinary support, not an emergency service and not a diagnosis. For immediate physical danger or a medical emergency, call 911.
Optional faith and community support
If faith is part of your life, a trusted faith leader or community can be a source of support alongside the secular help above. You do not need a religious belief to use these CGG resources. Faith-based support is optional and offered alongside secular resources.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: get help
Practical assistance (food, housing-related help, counseling and more) offered by a faith-based organization.
- 312-655-7700 weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Welcomes people of all faiths, according to its own FAQ; eligibility for particular programs varies. You do not need a religious belief to use these CGG resources.
Optional next step
A foreclosure assessment, if you want one
Assessment-only fee: $750
CGG Law offers a standard foreclosure assessment for $750. The fee covers the assessment only. It does not include court representation, court filings, negotiations with a lender or servicer, or any other service. It does not buy or guarantee foreclosure relief or any particular result.
Carolina Garza-Gongora, the firm’s attorney, reviews whether CGG can accept the matter, including conflicts, and performs the assessment. Accepted clients receive the same standard assessment scope and engagement terms in writing. Any additional service would require a separate written agreement if the firm offers it.
If you choose to proceed and the firm accepts the matter, the assessment terms and payment arrangements are discussed during the call. No payment is collected on this website. You can use these CGG pages and calculator, and contact the listed providers, without purchasing an assessment.
Using this planner does not itself establish an engagement; CGG will confirm any accepted scope in writing. Applicable duties to prospective clients are not waived.
Before you rely on anything here
- These pages are educational information, not legal advice; they are not individual legal or tax advice about your situation.
- Do not upload confidential documents here. These pages accept no files and ask for no personal details.
- Using this page does not pause a court or sale deadline. Neither does requesting a consultation or contacting a provider.
- These CGG pages and the calculator are free to use, without an account. You do not need to hire CGG Law or pay its assessment fee to contact the listed providers. Each provider sets its own eligibility, intake requirements and any fees.
- These links lead to independent providers, which have their own eligibility rules and privacy practices. Resource web information was checked on October 26, 2026. The numbers listed have not been called, and availability is not guaranteed.