Community Corner
Landlords No Longer Have Option to Deny Section 8
The Cook County Board has added Section 8, or Housing Choice Vouchers, to the list of reasons landlords cannot bar tenants under the Illinois Fair Housing Law.
Up until recently, landlords had discretion on whether they would allow Section 8 tenants to rent in their properties. That all changed on May 8 as the Cook County Board approved a measure that would penalize landlords for discriminating against Section 8 voucher holders.
The Illinois Fair Housing Law states that one cannot deny an applicant based on race, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, disability, presence of children or sexual orientation. Now, Section 8 voucher holders have been added to that list.
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The measure passed 9-6, the Sun-Times reported.
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If prospective Section 8 holders believe they were denied a unit because of their voucher status, they now have the right to file a complaint with the Cook County Commission on Human Rights.
According to Open Communities, a nonprofit organization that pushes for equal housing rights, there are approximately 15,000 voucher holders in Cook County.
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