HB0206 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 04602 KTG 49610 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB0206

Introduced , by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

310 ILCS 10/25

from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 25

Amends the Housing Authorities Act. In a provision permitting a Housing Authority to refuse to certify or recertify applicants, current tenants, or other household members who have been convicted of a criminal offense relating to the sale or distribution of a controlled substance, provides that prior to refusing to certify or recertify such a person, the Authority shall make an individualized assessment and determine whether it is reasonable to conclude that the applicant, current tenant, or other household member would constitute a threat to those in the community where the applicant, current tenant, or other household member would reside; or whether it is reasonable to conclude that the applicant, current tenant, or other household member would otherwise engage in other unlawful activities in that community. Provides that during the individualized assessment, the Authority shall consider all mitigating circumstances, including, but not limited to: the nature of the crime; the time elapsed between the date of conviction and the date of certification or recertification; the applicant's, tenant's, or other household member's background; the incentive to litigate the criminal matter; and any evidence demonstrating rehabilitation. Requires the Authority to provide notice to the applicant, current tenant, or other household member that he or she may be denied certification or recertification because of a criminal conviction and that he or she has the right to an impartial hearing to demonstrate that he or she should not be denied certification or recertification because of his or her particular circumstances.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning housing.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Housing Authorities Act is amended by changing Section 25 as follows:

(310 ILCS 10/25) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 25)

Sec. 25. Rentals and tenant selection. In the operation or management of housing projects an Authority shall at all times observe the following duties with respect to rentals and tenant selection:

(a) It shall not accept any person as a tenant in any dwelling in a housing project if the persons who would occupy the dwelling have an aggregate annual income which equals or exceeds the amount which the Authority determines (which determination shall be conclusive) to be necessary in order to enable such persons to secure safe, sanitary and uncongested dwelling accommodations within the area of operation of the Authority and to provide an adequate standard of living for themselves.

(b) It may rent or lease the dwelling accommodations therein only at rentals within the financial reach of persons who lack the amount of income which it determines (pursuant to (a) of this Section) to be necessary in order to obtain safe, sanitary and uncongested dwelling accommodations within the area of operation of the Authority and to provide an adequate standard of living.

(c) It may rent or lease to a tenant a dwelling consisting of the number of rooms (but no greater number) which it deems necessary to provide safe and sanitary accommodations to the proposed occupants thereof, without overcrowding.

(d) It shall not change the residency preference of any prospective tenant once the application has been accepted by the authority.

(e) It may refuse to certify or recertify applicants, current tenants, or other household members if, after due notice and an impartial hearing, that person or any of the proposed occupants of the dwelling has, prior to or during a term of tenancy or occupancy in any housing project operated by an Authority, been convicted of a criminal offense relating to the sale or distribution of controlled substances under the laws of this State, the United States or any other state. If an Authority desires a criminal history records check of all 50 states or a 50-state confirmation of a conviction record, the Authority shall submit the fingerprints of the relevant applicant, tenant, or other household member to the Department of State Police in a manner prescribed by the Department of State Police. These fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records now and hereafter filed in the Department of State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases. The Department of State Police shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records check, which shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the records check. The Department of State Police shall furnish pursuant to positive identification, records of conviction to the Authority. Prior to refusing to certify or recertify an applicant, current tenant, or other household member pursuant to this subsection, the Authority shall make an individualized assessment and determine whether it is reasonable to conclude that the applicant, current tenant, or other household member would constitute a threat to those in the community where the applicant, current tenant, or other household member would reside; or whether it is reasonable to conclude that the applicant, current tenant, or other household member would otherwise engage in other unlawful activities in that community. During the individualized assessment, the Authority shall consider all mitigating circumstances, including, but not limited to: the nature of the crime; the time elapsed between the date of conviction and the date of certification or recertification; the applicant's, tenant's, or other household member's background; the incentive to litigate the criminal matter; and any evidence demonstrating rehabilitation. The Authority shall provide notice to the applicant, current tenant, or other household member that he or she may be denied certification or recertification because of a criminal conviction and that he or she has the right to an impartial hearing to demonstrate that he or she should not be denied certification or recertification because of his or her particular circumstances.

(f) It may, if a tenant has created or maintained a threat constituting a serious and clear danger to the health or safety of other tenants or Authority employees, after 3 days' written notice of termination and without a hearing, file suit against any such tenant for recovery of possession of the premises. The tenant shall be given the opportunity to contest the termination in the court proceedings. A serious and clear danger to the health or safety of other tenants or Authority employees shall include, but not be limited to, any of the following activities of the tenant or of any other person on the premises with the consent of the tenant:

(1) Physical assault or the threat of physical assault.

(2) Illegal use of a firearm or other weapon or the threat to use in an illegal manner a firearm or other weapon.

(3) Possession of a controlled substance by the tenant or any other person on the premises with the consent of the tenant if the tenant knew or should have known of the possession by the other person of a controlled substance, unless the controlled substance was obtained directly from or pursuant to a valid prescription.

(4) Streetgang membership as defined in the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.

The management of low-rent public housing projects financed and developed under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 shall be in accordance with that Act.

Nothing contained in this Section or any other Section of this Act shall be construed as limiting the power of an Authority to vest in a bondholder or trustee the right, in the event of a default by the Authority, to take possession and operate a housing project or cause the appointment of a receiver thereof, free from all restrictions imposed by this Section or any other Section of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-418, eff. 1-1-04; 93-749, eff. 7-15-04.)