Section 8

What is old is new as HB 2775 is signed into law by Illinois Governor

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Section 8 protections expanded House Bill 2775 was signed into law on May 23, 2022.  The law, introduced by Representative La Shawn K. Ford, amends the Illinois Human Rights Act by prohibiting source of income discrimination in real estate transaction under the State’s fair housing laws.  This change brings the entire State of Illinois into … Read more

Will Chicago Section 8 be Affected by Government Shut-Down?

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sec8stadThe Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development released a contingency plan for procedures in the event of a government shut-down.  The 67 page document is complex but it does address, in some small regard, what might happen to Section 8 programs during the government shut down.

In the section related to multi-family housing, the document indicates that HUD will “Make payments under Section 8 contracts, rent supplement, section 236, PRACS where there is a permanent or indefinite authority or multi-year funding.” and it goes on to say that HUD will “Renew/Fund Section 8 contracts and PRACS where there is budget authority available from prior appropriations or recaptures.”

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Prediction for 2014: Illinois landlords better learn the fair housing laws!

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bigtroubleYesterday’s Chicago Tribune contained a story about complaints from fair housing advocates to the Cook County Board concerned with recent events whereby Glenview, Illinois has attempted to exempt itself from application of Cook County’s recent amendment to the fair housing portion if its human rights ordinance making it illegal to refuse to rent to Section 8 voucher holders.

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UPDATE: Cook County Section 8 amendment

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On May 8, 2013, the Cook County Board will once again take up the topic of amending the Human Right’s Ordinance to make it a fair housing violation (for source of income discrimination) for a Cook County landlord to refuse to participate in the Section 8 housing choice voucher program.  The Illinois Rental Property Owners … Read more

Cook County proposes adding “Section 8” participants to Fair Housing protected classes

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See update

The housing provisions of the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance (Ordinance No. 93-0-13) are the county equivalent to the federal Fair Housing law.  Currently, the Cook County law prohibits discrimination in housing transactions (for those landlords covered by the law) for sixteen protected classes.  These are the fourteen protected classes from the Illinois Human Rights Act (race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status, source of income, housing status) plus two additional classes (housing status and source of income).  Although the Cook County ordinance includes source of income, it expressly excludes participation in a housing choice program (ie. Section 8).  Therefore, as of today, Cook County landlords may discriminate based upon a prospective tenant’s participation in Section 8.

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