Ask Your State Senator to vote YES on Prevent Housing Discrimination (HB2775).This bill establishes that a renter's source of income cannot be used as grounds to deny them a lease. Do this before Friday, April 1
Background
This bill would level the playing field and ensure equal access to Illinois’ scarce housing resources in communities of a renter’s choice. The bill would make it a civil rights violation for a landlord who requires minimum income levels as a condition of rental to refuse to include rental assistance, housing vouchers, disability income and other sources of federal, state and local funding in its income calculation.
The following resources provide information about common negative perceptions related to tenants who receive rental support:
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Investigating the Relationship Between Housing Voucher Use and Crime -
The Voucher Promise: "Section 8" and the Fate of an American Neighborhood
League POSITION
The League of Women Voters believes that every person and family should have decent, safe, and affordable housing. Publicly-funded housing should meet the following requirements:
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Lower-income families should not be segregated in large developments or neighborhoods. As their economic status improves, they should be able to continue to live in the same units as private tenants or as homeowners.
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Housing should be designed to meet human needs and built with amenities that will encourage economic integration within apartment buildings as well as within neighborhoods.
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Publicly assisted housing should be included in viable, balanced communities, with provision for quality public services and facilities, including schools, transportation, recreation, etc., that will encourage integration and stability.
