|
"For thousands of families and individuals, owning a house is an
important step in building a better future," Blagojevich said. "But
homebuyers may face discrimination because of their race, gender,
national origin or religion. We want to help homebuyers, and the
community organizations working with them, be aware of the laws
designed to protect them against discrimination." The seminars
will inform homebuyers, tenants, landlords, property owners,
advertisers, housing advocates and community organizations about
Illinois' anti-discrimination laws. Presentations will focus on
discrimination during real estate transactions involving residential
and commercial property, to help homebuyers recognize and protect
themselves from housing discrimination. Seminars will also include
an overview on fair housing, housing rights of people with
disabilities, sexual harassment in housing, information on
discriminatory occupancy codes and information on how to file
discrimination charges with the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
"We want to remove unfortunate discriminatory obstacles that face
unknowing homebuyers and encourage them to report discrimination
immediately," said Rocco Claps, director of the Department of Human
Rights. "The Fair Housing Division's training launch is part of our
continuous effort to inform the public about human rights laws and
especially fair housing in Illinois' communities." Building on the
department's history of statewide fair housing education and
outreach, the Fair Housing Division was created in 2004 to focus on
the issue of housing discrimination in Illinois.
Many Illinoisans face housing discrimination due to their race,
color, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, or
because they have children. African-Americans and Latinos
experienced more than 3 million incidents of illegal housing
discrimination in 2003 nationwide, and the Department of Human
Rights completed investigations of over 250 housing discrimination
complaints in 2004 alone. Latinos in Illinois are underrepresented
in the percentage of homeowners, according to a study by the
National Fair Housing Alliance. To address this issue, the
Department of Human Rights is partnering with organizations such as
the League of United Latin American Citizens and Access Living,
which serve Latino clients and communities, to conduct presentations
in Chicago in both English and Spanish.
The training seminars will also include information from the
Illinois Housing Development Authority, the state agency that
finances the creation and the preservation of affordable housing
across Illinois. The agency will distribute information on the
governor's homeownership program
I-Loan
Mortgage, which provides low- and moderate-income families with
down payment and closing cost assistance, as well as interest rates
that are at least a half percent below the market rate.
[to top of second column in this article]
 |
 "The I-Loan Mortgage plan helps increase family and community
stability, improves the quality of life for Illinois homebuyers, and
helps to boost local economies throughout the state," said Kelly
King Dibble, executive director of the Illinois Housing Development
Authority. "We will continue to provide information on affordable
housing, at the Illinois Department of Human Rights' Fair Housing
training seminars, to assist in its outreach efforts."
Designed to help first-time homebuyers gain the stability and
security that come from homeownership and begin to build equity in
their homes, the I-Loan Mortgage is a key component of Blagojevich's
comprehensive housing plan, Building For Success. In 2003 the
governor created a task force to develop specific strategies to
effectively use state resources to best meet the affordable housing
needs of Illinois residents. He recently announced that the Illinois
Housing Development Authority has committed $175 million to the
I-Loan program.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation,
which oversees bank and mortgage lending practices, will provide
information that arms potential homebuyers against the trap of
predatory lending -- loans that cost more than a borrower can or
should pay, usually including excessively high interest rates and
fees.
The governor has taken additional measures to protect individuals
and families against discrimination in Illinois, including:
- Signing into law House Bill 917, which makes it a civil
violation to coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with an
individual's right to fair housing, including discriminatory
actions such as racial slurs and hate crimes. The law goes into
effect on Jan. 1, 2006.
- Signing into law Senate Bill 287, which makes it a hate
crime to harass or threaten an individual through telephones,
faxes or e-mails, including intentionally interrupting an
individual's telephone service. The law went into effect upon
signing.
- Signing into law Senate Bill 3186, which extends protections
under the Illinois Human Rights Act to protect people from
discrimination based on their sexual orientation. Illinois
became the 15th state in the nation to extend equal protection
for its gay and lesbian residents. The law goes into effect on
Jan. 1, 2006.
Any individual wishing to file a complaint can do so in writing,
by phone or in person with any Illinois Department of Human Rights
office, generally within 180 days of the date of the alleged
discrimination. More information and complaint forms are available
through the department's website at
http://www.state.il.us/dhr.
[News release from the governor's office] |
