Just Housing Amendment Passes in Cook County

Advocates with the Just Housing Coalition join Cook County Commissioners at City Hall.

On April 25th, the Just Housing amendment was passed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners with a vote of 15-2. This ordinance will amend the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance to add protections for people with criminal backgrounds who are looking for housing.

The ordinance will:

• Ensure landlords do not inquire about criminal history of an applicant until after the application has been considered.

• Prohibit discrimination in real estate transactions based on factors such as arrest records, citations, and sealed or expunged records.

• Require housing providers to consider individualized factors for applicants with a conviction; factors may include rehabilitation, length of time since conviction, and nature and severity of the crime.

This amendment will help more than 1 million people in Cook County by making it easier to find housing. We are thrilled with this result, and we are thankful for the support of many in the Commission, especially our chief sponsor Brandon Johnson.

Learn more at www.justhousinginitiative.org, and listen to Senior Staff Attorney Barbara Barreno-Paschall speak more about the amendment on WCPT 820: