Community Corner
Landlords No Longer Have Option to Deny Section 8
The Cook County Board has added Section 8, or Housing Choice Vouchers, under the Illinois Fair Housing Law.
Up until recently, it was up to a landlord to decide whether he or she would allow Section 8 tenants. That all changed on May 8, when 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.
The measure passed 9-6.
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If a prospective Section 8 holder believes 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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