CHICAGO – In celebration of Fair Housing Month, the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) is hosting a virtual workshop on reasonable accommodations and modifications for housing providers. The event will take place on Thursday, April 27, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law that made discrimination in housing unlawful. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual harassment), disability, and familial status (including pregnancy). And at the state level, the Illinois Human Rights Act protects Illinoisans from housing discrimination in eight additional bases.

“Over the last four years, the Illinois Department of Human Rights has taken a leadership role in passing legislation that expands fair housing protections. Most notably, we reduced housing insecurity and unfair housing practices by protecting Illinoisans with non-traditional sources of income such as disability payments or Section 8 vouchers,” said Director Jim Bennett. “Our success in advancing access to fair housing in Illinois is to the credit of our continued partnership with housing advocates and housing providers, the leadership of the Illinois General Assembly and the steadfast commitment to Fair Housing from the Pritzker Administration.”

During the virtual workshop, IDHR will feature government and industry leaders from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of the Attorney General of Illinois, Access Living, and Illinois REALTORS®. Their presentations will highlight state and federal disability rights, trending issues experienced by housing providers, and best practices from our reissued Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications Guidebook.

“Housing affects the entire family. When housing providers erroneously process requests for reasonable accommodations, they impact not only the person living with a disability, but also, their spouses, children, and the network of partners that support them,” said Deputy Director Alex Bautista. “That is why we reissued the guidebook in a mobile-friendly format. We hope this guidebook becomes a critical tool and ‘go to’ resource for housing providers to help them play their part in keeping Illinois housing fair and accessible.”

The virtual workshop is open to the public. Anyone interested in viewing the event can access a livestream on our website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube page. For more information on IDHR’s Fair Housing Division, visit dhr.illinois.gov/filing-a-charge/housing.html.

Illinois e-News Release

IDHR to Host Fair Housing Month Event Virtually on April 27th

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