102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1767

 

Introduced 2/17/2021, by Rep. William Davis

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
315 ILCS 5/Act rep.

    Repeals the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning urban problems.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Findings.
5    (1) The General Assembly finds that in the 20th Century
6African-American communities in Illinois were substantially
7economically disadvantaged due to the policy of "redlining",
8whereby mortgage opportunities were denied to
9African-Americans or provided at greater than average interest
10rates.
11    (2) The General Assembly finds that through these
12policies, the African-American population of Illinois became
13concentrated in certain neighborhoods in Illinois cities. Due
14to the lack of access to capital, many of the renters in these
15neighborhoods were at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords, who
16failed to provide the proper maintenance and improvements to
17their properties. African-American homeowners in these
18neighborhoods often lacked the funds for proper upkeep. As a
19result, these neighborhoods began to become rundown and
20dilapidated. Soon thereafter these neighborhoods were deemed
21"blighted". Policymakers began to look for solutions to the
22problem of "blighted areas".
23    (3) The Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947 was
24enacted in an attempt to address the blighted areas problem.

 

 

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1However, the General Assembly finds that the ultimate effect
2of this Act was to codify discriminatory housing practices by
3declaring large swaths of African-American neighborhoods
4blighted areas. This resulted in these areas being condemned
5and demolished and the residents being forced to move without
6affordable housing readily available. The ultimate result was
7that the condemned areas were not redeveloped with affordable
8housing, but rather converted to mixed industrial or highway
9use, effectively serving as a "moat" between African-American
10neighborhoods and the rest of the city.
11    (4) The General Assembly finds that the stain of the
12discriminatory effects of the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act
13of 1947 cannot be erased. However, the effects can be
14recognized and with the repeal of the Act, the path toward
15healing can begin.
 
16    (315 ILCS 5/Act rep.)
17    Section 5. The Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947 is
18repealed.
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20becoming law.