Landmark Housing Legislation Goes into Effect!
Today, landmark legislation for people with records is effective, providing more opportunities to obtain fair housing throughout the state of Illinois and Cook County. Thanks to you, we are celebrating the implementation of two new laws to protect human rights!
At the state level, the Housing as a Human Right legislation (P.A.101-65/SB 1780) now provides increased protections under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Residents of Illinois will no longer be denied opportunities to buy or rent housing based on arrests or improperly released criminal records (including expunged/sealed or juvenile records). Now if you are denied housing, you can show proof that your record is a protected record. If you are still denied housing, you can file a charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights. A housing discrimination charge can be filed in person, over the phone or via email within one year of the alleged harm. We are grateful for our Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois (RROCI) partners who led the passage of Housing as a Human Right. RROCI is a coalition spearheaded by Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Community Renewal Society, and Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights.
The Just Housing Amendment also provides similar protections in Cook County and includes protections for people with certain kinds of criminal convictions. Specifically, housing providers and housing authorities cannot look back more than three years from the date of conviction and cannot consider certain aspects of justice system records (such as arrests, juvenile records, and sealed and expunged records) when making housing determinations. For applicants with a conviction on their record, housing providers will need to conduct an individualized assessment and consider factors such as the nature of the offense and the time that has passed since the offense. Reports of any violations under the ordinance can be made to the Cook County Commission on Human Rights.
We wish to thank our partners in the Just Housing Initiative for leading this significant victory to protect over one million people in Cook County from housing discrimination. The Just Housing Initiative, which includes The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County, Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Community Renewal Society, Housing Action Illinois, Housing Choice Partners, John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic, Safer Foundation, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Supportive Housing Providers Association, Westside Health Authority, Woodstock Institute, and over 100 supporting organizations from throughout Cook County, fought for years to remove barriers to stable housing for people with backgrounds.
These new laws represent a historic step forward. They will not only protect families and individuals, but set a powerful precedent that people with records, like everyone else, deserve a place to call home. Join us in spreading the news about our increased rights for fair housing in Illinois. It’s a new year and a new beginning for just housing in Illinois and Cook County.