Illinois legislators have the chance to pass statewide source of income (SOI) housing protections before the General Assembly session ends on April 8.
The proposed legislation, HB 2775, will strengthen existing local SOI discrimination laws and protect every resident in Illinois communities.
The bill provides the opportunity for individuals and families currently shut out of housing opportunities to make their case to a landlord that they will be a good tenant. While not guaranteeing housing, or requiring any landlord to rent to any specific applicant, this legislation will level the playing field for all Illinoisans with non-wage income to access a fuller range of housing options.
These protections will benefit veterans, single mothers, seniors, people with disabilities, and voucher holders.
Over half of Illinois households (2.7 million out of 4.8 million) earn non-wage income, such as social security, retirement income, and public assistance. In addition, about 99,000 households use Housing Choice Vouchers to pay their rent.
HB 2775 passed the House almost a year ago, in April 2021, but the Senate has yet to take action on the bill. In March 2022, as the result of negotiations with many of the opponents, an agreement was reached to amend the bill to focus on the core source of income protections that 19 other states already have.
Tell legislators to act before the session ends:
Housing Action Illinois is a member of the Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing, a group of organizations working together to pass state legislation to establish protections against SOI discrimination. Learn more and get involved here »