SB2492 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 16536 LNS 21931 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB2492

Introduced 2/26/2021, by Sen. Ram Villivalam

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

See Index

Amends the Homelessness Prevention Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall be mindful of preventing undue administrative burden in the application process for individual tenants in applying for assistance. Provides that program staff shall endeavor to lessen any administrative burden on landlords receiving assistance payments. Amends the Eviction Article of the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a defendant shall have an affirmative defense to any action where the plaintiff demands has made a demand for possession that is based on unpaid rent regardless of whether the owner has joined in the action a claim for rent if the defendant, a social services agency, or a government agency offered the owner an application for emergency housing assistance and the owner refused to complete the process to obtain the emergency housing assistance and the defendant would have been eligible for the emergency housing assistance program. Provides that the owner may overcome the affirmative defense only if the court makes a finding that the application for emergency housing assistance would impose a significant administrative burden on the owner. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Defines "source of income". Provides that if a landlord requires that a prospective tenant or current tenant have a certain threshold level of income, then the landlord shall subtract any source of income in the form of a rent voucher or subsidy from the total of the monthly rent prior to calculating if the income criteria have been met. Provides that a landlord shall not apply an income or asset requirement to a tenant with a non-wage source of income that the landlord does not apply to all tenants. Provides that if an income or asset requirement serves to generally exclude participants in a housing or benefits program, that requirement shall be considered presumptively discriminatory. Makes other changes.

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 Homelessness Prevention Act is amended by changing Sections 4 and 10 as follows:

(310 ILCS 70/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1304)

Sec. 4. Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program.

(a) The Department shall establish a family homelessness prevention and assistance program to stabilize families in their existing homes, to shorten the amount of time that families stay in emergency shelters, and to assist families with securing affordable transitional or permanent housing. The Department shall make grants, from funds appropriated to it, to develop and implement homelessness prevention and assistance projects under this Act.

(b) Grants may be made from funds appropriated for the purposes of this Act and from any federal funds or funds from other sources which are made available for the purposes of this Act. Grants shall be made under this Act only to the extent that funds are available.

(c) The Department shall be mindful of preventing undue administrative burden in the application process for individual tenants applying for assistance authorized under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-91, eff. 7-1-05.)

(310 ILCS 70/10) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1310)

Sec. 10. (a) Program staff shall, whenever practicable, negotiate with the landlord of a household approved for assistance under the program to enable the household to remain in its current housing.

(b) Program staff shall, when there has been a loss of public benefits to the household, take all practicable steps to assist in the restoration of the household's public benefits.

(c) Program staff shall identify, and assist households in applying for, any form of public benefits or entitlements for which the household may be eligible.

(d) Program staff shall, after the end of each State fiscal year and as determined by the Department of Human Services, determine whether the household has remained in the residence in which they were residing at the time assistance was provided, and determine whether the living situation of the household is stable.

(e) Program staff, to the extent practicable, shall endeavor to lessen any administrative burden on landlords receiving assistance payments under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-291, eff. 8-11-09.)

Section 10. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by adding Section 9-106.4 as follows:

(735 ILCS 5/9-106.4 new)

Sec. 9-106.4. Affirmative defense regarding emergency housing assistance.

(a) The General Assembly hereby finds that:

(1) Homelessness frequently results from a temporary economic crisis such as a temporary loss of employment, medical emergency, or loss or interruption of public benefits.

(2) The prevention of homelessness, as opposed to providing temporary shelter or offering other short-term solutions to persons who become homeless, is cost-effective, preserves family self-respect, and helps to keep families intact.

(3) Short-term interventions for the prevention of homelessness serve to prevent the need for long-term assistance programs that are costlier to taxpayers.

(4) The cost-effectiveness and other goals of homelessness prevention programs are undercut when the State, its federal or municipal governmental partners, or private charitable funders appropriate funds for homelessness prevention programs, but owners of private property refuse to engage in de minimus paperwork or bookkeeping tasks to process funding applications; thereby, homelessness is not prevented and family stability is not secured.

(5) State governmental programs shall be mindful of undue paperwork requirements in administering such funds and shall encourage governmental and private charitable partners to be likewise mindful.

(b) An affirmative defense applies to any action maintained under this Article in which the plaintiff has made a demand for possession that is based on unpaid rent regardless of whether the owner or the agent of the owner has joined in the action a claim for rent pursuant to Section 9-201.

(c) A defendant may assert an affirmative defense if the defendant, a social services agency, or a government agency offered the owner or its agent an application for emergency housing assistance and the owner or the agent of the owner refused to complete the process to obtain the emergency housing assistance and the defendant would have been eligible for the emergency housing assistance program.

(d) The owner or the agent of the owner may overcome this affirmative defense only if the court makes a finding that the application for emergency housing assistance would impose a significant administrative burden on the owner or the agent of the owner. It is not a significant administrative burden for the owner or the agent of the owner to:

(1) submit a social security number or taxpayer ID number;

(2) complete an Internal Revenue Service form W-9;

(3) submit a voided bank account check or deposit slip;

(4) submit a bank account number for the purposes of direct deposit;

(5) submit proof of ownership;

(6) submit proof of payment of property taxes;

(7) allow the agency to inspect the premises to determine that the property meets the prevailing building code requirements; or

(8) agree to discontinue termination of tenancy proceedings if the tenant and the agency offer to tender the full amount of past due rent.

(e) For purposes of this Section, "emergency housing assistance" means monetary grants made to tenants or landlords through the Homelessness Prevention Act for the purposes of rent payments or monetary grants by any similar program administered by federal, State, township, or municipal governments or private charitable funders.

Section 15. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by changing Sections 1-102, 1-103, 3-102, 3-103, 3-106, and 8B-104 and by adding Section 3-102.2 as follows:

(775 ILCS 5/1-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 1-102)

Sec. 1-102. Declaration of Policy. It is the public policy of this State:

(A) Freedom from Unlawful Discrimination. To secure for all individuals within Illinois the freedom from discrimination against any individual because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or unfavorable discharge from military service in connection with employment, real estate transactions, access to financial credit, and the availability of public accommodations.

(B) Freedom from Sexual Harassment-Employment and Elementary, Secondary, and Higher Education. To prevent sexual harassment in employment and sexual harassment in elementary, secondary, and higher education.

(C) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Citizenship Status-Employment. To prevent discrimination based on citizenship status in employment.

(D) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Familial Status or Source of Income-Real Estate Transactions. To prevent discrimination based on familial status or source of income in real estate transactions.

(E) Public Health, Welfare and Safety. To promote the public health, welfare and safety by protecting the interest of all people in Illinois in maintaining personal dignity, in realizing their full productive capacities, and in furthering their interests, rights and privileges as citizens of this State.

(F) Implementation of Constitutional Guarantees. To secure and guarantee the rights established by Sections 17, 18 and 19 of Article I of the Illinois Constitution of 1970.

(G) Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action. To establish Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action as the policies of this State in all of its decisions, programs and activities, and to assure that all State departments, boards, commissions and instrumentalities rigorously take affirmative action to provide equality of opportunity and eliminate the effects of past discrimination in the internal affairs of State government and in their relations with the public.

(H) Unfounded Charges. To protect citizens of this State against unfounded charges of unlawful discrimination, sexual harassment in employment and sexual harassment in elementary, secondary, and higher education, and discrimination based on citizenship status in employment.

(Source: P.A. 98-1050, eff. 1-1-15.)

(775 ILCS 5/1-103) (from Ch. 68, par. 1-103)

Sec. 1-103. General definitions. When used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise, the term:

(A) Age. "Age" means the chronological age of a person who is at least 40 years old, except with regard to any practice described in Section 2-102, insofar as that practice concerns training or apprenticeship programs. In the case of training or apprenticeship programs, for the purposes of Section 2-102, "age" means the chronological age of a person who is 18 but not yet 40 years old.

(B) Aggrieved party. "Aggrieved party" means a person who is alleged or proved to have been injured by a civil rights violation or believes he or she will be injured by a civil rights violation under Article 3 that is about to occur.

(B-5) Arrest record. "Arrest record" means:

(1) an arrest not leading to a conviction;

(2) a juvenile record; or

(3) criminal history record information ordered expunged, sealed, or impounded under Section 5.2 of the Criminal Identification Act.

(C) Charge. "Charge" means an allegation filed with the Department by an aggrieved party or initiated by the Department under its authority.

(D) Civil rights violation. "Civil rights violation" includes and shall be limited to only those specific acts set forth in Sections 2-102, 2-103, 2-105, 3-102, 3-102.1, 3-103, 3-104, 3-104.1, 3-105, 3-105.1, 4-102, 4-103, 5-102, 5A-102, 6-101, and 6-102 of this Act.

(E) Commission. "Commission" means the Human Rights Commission created by this Act.

(F) Complaint. "Complaint" means the formal pleading filed by the Department with the Commission following an investigation and finding of substantial evidence of a civil rights violation.

(G) Complainant. "Complainant" means a person including the Department who files a charge of civil rights violation with the Department or the Commission.

(H) Department. "Department" means the Department of Human Rights created by this Act.

(I) Disability. "Disability" means a determinable physical or mental characteristic of a person, including, but not limited to, a determinable physical characteristic which necessitates the person's use of a guide, hearing or support dog, the history of such characteristic, or the perception of such characteristic by the person complained against, which may result from disease, injury, congenital condition of birth or functional disorder and which characteristic:

(1) For purposes of Article 2, is unrelated to the person's ability to perform the duties of a particular job or position and, pursuant to Section 2-104 of this Act, a person's illegal use of drugs or alcohol is not a disability;

(2) For purposes of Article 3, is unrelated to the person's ability to acquire, rent, or maintain a housing accommodation;

(3) For purposes of Article 4, is unrelated to a person's ability to repay;

(4) For purposes of Article 5, is unrelated to a person's ability to utilize and benefit from a place of public accommodation;

(5) For purposes of Article 5, also includes any mental, psychological, or developmental disability, including autism spectrum disorders.

(J) Marital status. "Marital status" means the legal status of being married, single, separated, divorced, or widowed.

(J-1) Military status. "Military status" means a person's status on active duty in or status as a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, status as a current member or veteran of any reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the United States Army Reserve, United States Marine Corps Reserve, United States Navy Reserve, United States Air Force Reserve, and United States Coast Guard Reserve, or status as a current member or veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard or Illinois Air National Guard.

(K) National origin. "National origin" means the place in which a person or one of his or her ancestors was born.

(K-5) "Order of protection status" means a person's status as being a person protected under an order of protection issued pursuant to the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, Article 112A of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963, the Stalking No Contact Order Act, or the Civil No Contact Order Act, or an order of protection issued by a court of another state.

(L) Person. "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations or organizations, labor organizations, labor unions, joint apprenticeship committees, or union labor associations, corporations, the State of Illinois and its instrumentalities, political subdivisions, units of local government, legal representatives, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers.

(L-5) Pregnancy. "Pregnancy" means pregnancy, childbirth, or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.

(M) Public contract. "Public contract" includes every contract to which the State, any of its political subdivisions, or any municipal corporation is a party.

(N) Religion. "Religion" includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief, except that with respect to employers, for the purposes of Article 2, "religion" has the meaning ascribed to it in paragraph (F) of Section 2-101.

(O) Sex. "Sex" means the status of being male or female.

(O-1) Sexual orientation. "Sexual orientation" means actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender-related identity, whether or not traditionally associated with the person's designated sex at birth. "Sexual orientation" does not include a physical or sexual attraction to a minor by an adult.

(O-5) Source of income. "Source of income" means lawful, verifiable income paid directly to a tenant, or to a representative of a tenant, or paid to a housing owner or landlord on behalf of a tenant, including federal, State, or local public or private assistance, and federal, State, or local housing subsidies, including, but not limited to, emergency housing assistance, social security, or federal housing assistance vouchers issued under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1437f) and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing voucher. "Source of income" does not include income derived in a manner that is illegal in this State.

(P) Unfavorable military discharge. "Unfavorable military discharge" includes discharges from the Armed Forces of the United States, their Reserve components, or any National Guard or Naval Militia which are classified as RE-3 or the equivalent thereof, but does not include those characterized as RE-4 or "Dishonorable".

(Q) Unlawful discrimination. "Unlawful discrimination" means discrimination against a person because of his or her actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, order of protection status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or unfavorable discharge from military service as those terms are defined in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-714, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-221, eff. 1-1-20; 101-565, eff. 1-1-20; revised 9-18-19.)

(775 ILCS 5/3-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 3-102)

Sec. 3-102. Civil rights violations; real estate transactions. It is a civil rights violation for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, or for a real estate broker or salesman, because of unlawful discrimination, familial status, source of income, or an arrest record, as defined under subsection (B-5) of Section 1-103, to:

(A) Transaction. Refuse to engage in a real estate transaction with a person or to discriminate in making available such a transaction;

(B) Terms. Alter the terms, conditions or privileges of a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith;

(C) Offer. Refuse to receive or to fail to transmit a bona fide offer to engage in a real estate transaction from a person;

(D) Negotiation. Refuse to negotiate for a real estate transaction with a person;

(E) Representations. Represent to a person that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when in fact it is so available, or to fail to bring a property listing to his or her attention, or to refuse to permit him or her to inspect real property;

(F) Publication of Intent. Make, print, circulate, post, mail, publish or cause to be made, printed, circulated, posted, mailed, or published any notice, statement, advertisement or sign, or use a form of application for a real estate transaction, or make a record or inquiry in connection with a prospective real estate transaction, that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on unlawful discrimination or unlawful discrimination based on familial status, source of income, or an arrest record, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination;

(G) Listings. Offer, solicit, accept, use or retain a listing of real property with knowledge that unlawful discrimination or discrimination on the basis of familial status, source of income, or an arrest record in a real estate transaction is intended.

(Source: P.A. 101-565, eff. 1-1-20.)

(775 ILCS 5/3-102.2 new)

Sec. 3-102.2. Calculation of income or assets. If a landlord requires that a prospective tenant or current tenant have a certain level of income, then the landlord shall subtract any source of income in the form of a rent voucher or subsidy from the total of the monthly rent prior to calculating if the income criteria have been met. A landlord shall not apply an income or asset requirement to a tenant with a non-wage source of income that the landlord does not apply to all tenants. A landlord commits a civil rights violation if the landlord does not comply with the requirements of this Section. If an income or asset requirement serves to generally exclude participants in a housing or benefits program, a landlord who imposes such a requirement is presumed to have committed a civil rights violation within the meaning of this Act.

(775 ILCS 5/3-103) (from Ch. 68, par. 3-103)

Sec. 3-103. Blockbusting. It is a civil rights violation for any person to:

(A) Solicitation. Solicit for sale, lease, listing or purchase any residential real estate within this State, on the grounds of loss of value due to the present or prospective entry into the vicinity of the property involved of any person or persons of any particular race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, source of income, or disability.

(B) Statements. Distribute or cause to be distributed, written material or statements designed to induce any owner of residential real estate in this State to sell or lease his or her property because of any present or prospective changes in the race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status,source of income, or disability of residents in the vicinity of the property involved.

(C) Creating Alarm. Intentionally create alarm, among residents of any community, by transmitting communications in any manner, including a telephone call whether or not conversation thereby ensues, with a design to induce any owner of residential real estate in this state to sell or lease his or her property because of any present or prospective entry into the vicinity of the property involved of any person or persons of any particular race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, source of income, or disability.

(Source: P.A. 97-877, eff. 8-2-12.)

(775 ILCS 5/3-106) (from Ch. 68, par. 3-106)

Sec. 3-106. Exemptions. Nothing contained in Section 3-102 shall prohibit:

(A) Private Sales of Single Family Homes.

(1) Any sale of a single family home by its owner so long as the following criteria are met:

(a) The owner does not own or have a beneficial interest in more than three single family homes at the time of the sale;

(b) The owner or a member of his or her family was the last current resident of the home;

(c) The home is sold without the use in any manner of the sales or rental facilities or services of any real estate broker or salesman, or of any employee or agent of any real estate broker or salesman;

(d) The home is sold without the publication, posting or mailing, after notice, of any advertisement or written notice in violation of paragraph (F) of Section 3-102.

(2) This exemption does not apply to paragraph (F) of Section 3-102.

(B) Apartments. Rental of a housing accommodation in a building which contains housing accommodations for not more than 4 families living independently of each other, if the owner resides in one of the housing accommodations. This exemption does not apply to paragraph (F) of Section 3-102.

(C) Private Rooms. Rental of a room or rooms in a private home by an owner if he or she or a member of his or her family resides therein or, while absent for a period of not more than twelve months, if he or she or a member of his or her family intends to return to reside therein.

(D) Reasonable local, State, or Federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling.

(E) Religious Organizations. A religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of a dwelling which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, or national origin.

(F) Sex. Restricting the rental of rooms in a housing accommodation to persons of one sex.

(G) Persons Convicted of Drug-Related Offenses. Conduct against a person because such person has been convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction of the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance as defined in Section 102 of the federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).

(H) Persons engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property from taking into consideration factors other than those based on unlawful discrimination or familial status or source of income in furnishing appraisals.

(H-1) The owner of an owner-occupied residential building with 4 or fewer units (including the unit in which the owner resides) from making decisions regarding whether to rent to a person based upon that person's sexual orientation.

(I) Housing for Older Persons. No provision in this Article regarding familial status shall apply with respect to housing for older persons.

(1) As used in this Section, "housing for older persons" means housing:

(a) provided under any State or Federal program that the Department determines is specifically designed and operated to assist elderly persons (as defined in the State or Federal program); or

(b) intended for, and solely occupied by, persons 62 years of age or older; or

(c) intended and operated for occupancy by persons 55 years of age or older and:

(i) at least 80% of the occupied units are occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older;

(ii) the housing facility or community publishes and adheres to policies and procedures that demonstrate the intent required under this subdivision (c); and

(iii) the housing facility or community complies with rules adopted by the Department for verification of occupancy, which shall:

(aa) provide for verification by reliable surveys and affidavits; and

(bb) include examples of the types of policies and procedures relevant to a determination of compliance with the requirement of clause (ii).

These surveys and affidavits shall be admissible in administrative and judicial proceedings for the purposes of such verification.

(2) Housing shall not fail to meet the requirements for housing for older persons by reason of:

(a) persons residing in such housing as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 who do not meet the age requirements of subsections (1)(b) or (c); provided, that new occupants of such housing meet the age requirements of subsections (1)(b) or (c) of this subsection; or

(b) unoccupied units; provided, that such units are reserved for occupancy by persons who meet the age requirements of subsections (1)(b) or (c) of this subsection.

(3) (a) A person shall not be held personally liable for monetary damages for a violation of this Article if the person reasonably relied, in good faith, on the application of the exemption under this subsection (I) relating to housing for older persons.

(b) For the purposes of this item (3), a person may show good faith reliance on the application of the exemption only by showing that:

(i) the person has no actual knowledge that the facility or community is not, or will not be, eligible for the exemption; and

(ii) the facility or community has stated formally, in writing, that the facility or community complies with the requirements for the exemption.

(J) Child Sex Offender Refusal to Rent. Refusal of a child sex offender who owns and resides at residential real estate to rent any residential unit within the same building in which he or she resides to a person who is the parent or guardian of a child or children under 18 years of age.

(K) Arrest Records. Inquiry into or the use of an arrest record if the inquiry or use is otherwise authorized by State or federal law.

(Source: P.A. 101-565, eff. 1-1-20.)

(775 ILCS 5/8B-104) (from Ch. 68, par. 8B-104)

Sec. 8B-104. Relief; penalties. Upon finding a civil rights violation, a hearing officer may recommend and the Commission or any three-member panel thereof may provide for any relief or penalty identified in this Section, separately or in combination, by entering an order directing the respondent to:

(A) Cease and Desist Order. Cease and desist from any violation of this Act.

(B) Actual Damages. Pay actual damages, as reasonably determined by the Commission, for injury or loss suffered by the complainant.

(C) Civil Penalty. Pay a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest:

(i) in an amount not exceeding $16,000 if the respondent has not been adjudged to have committed any prior civil rights violation under Article 3;

(ii) in an amount not exceeding $42,500 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed one other civil rights violation under Article 3 during the 5-year period ending on the date of the filing of this charge; and

(iii) in an amount not exceeding $70,000 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed 2 or more civil rights violations under Article 3 during the 7-year period ending on the date of the filing of this charge; except that if the acts constituting the civil rights violation that is the object of the charge are committed by the same natural person who has been previously adjudged to have committed acts constituting a civil rights violation under Article 3, then the civil penalties set forth in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which any subsequent civil rights violation under Article 3 occurred.

(D) Attorney Fees; Costs. Pay to the complainant all or a portion of the costs of maintaining the action, including reasonable attorneys fees and expert witness fees incurred in maintaining this action before the Department, the Commission and in any judicial review and judicial enforcement proceedings.

(E) Compliance Report. Report as to the manner of compliance.

(F) Posting of Notices. Post notices in a conspicuous place which the Commission may publish or cause to be published setting forth requirements for compliance with this Act or other relevant information which the Commission determines necessary to explain this Act.

(G) Make Complainant Whole. Take such action as may be necessary to make the individual complainant whole, including, but not limited to, awards of interest on the complainant's actual damages from the date of the civil rights violation.

(H) Other Relief. Any other relief as the hearing officer and the Commission deem appropriate, including any permanent or temporary injunction, temporary restraining order, or other order, including an order enjoining the defendant from engaging in such practice or ordering such affirmative action as may be appropriate.

(Source: P.A. 99-548, eff. 1-1-17.)