For Marietta Murphy and her five daughters, Princeton Park seemed like perfect place to raise a family. Her children could have the freedom to ride their bikes and she could have garden. It was affordable. …
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starting and ending the rental agreement, security deposits
The Cook County Human Rights Ordinance protects individuals from discrimination based on their income (such as child support, social security) however, it specifically does not include protections for people with Section 8 housing vouchers.
With the ordinance as it stands, housing providers can and do deny qualified households solely because they have a Section 8 voucher. Studies have proven that housing providers refuse to rent to voucher holders as a pretext for other types of illegal discrimination based on race, familial status, and disability.
MTO supports the proposed ordinance amendment that would include protection for individuals with Section 8 vouchers. Property owners would still have the right to screen applicants.
The city of Chicago and six other municipalities in Illinois, ten states, the District of Columbia, and ten counties across the country have laws in place that protect individuals from discrimination based on using Housing Choice vouchers.
Voucher holders are some of the most scrutinized tenants and have to meet the rigorous criteria of the voucher administrator as well as comply with lease provisions. Nearly 40% of voucher recipients are employed and more than 30% are seniors or persons with disabilities. There is absolutely no evidence that persons who use Housing Choice Vouchers to make their housing affordable perpetuate or increase crime in communities.
Landlord participation in the voucher program is not unduly burdensome. Landlords only have to complete three simple forms. Payments made by the housing authority are made electronically. Units must pass a Housing Quality Standards inspection. Voucher recipients have to complete most of the paperwork.
By supporting this amendment to the CCHRO, the last remaining type of source of income discrimination in Cook County can finally end.
For more reading, check out this research article which found no evidence that voucher holder households increase crime in neighborhoods.
ARES Electricity Deregulation
MULTIFAMILY RENTAL FACT SHEET
Tenant Choices
If tenants receive their own electricity bills, they can make their own decisions about switching to an alternate provider. NOTE: Tenants should ask new providers if they accept LIHEAP.* …
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In January of 2011, tenants from a senior building at 353 E. 53rd Street called MTO complaining of repair problems in their building. The hotline counselor suggested building organizing to help address the building problems …
This letter applies to residents within the city of Chicago only who are covered under the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance (RLTO). Please see the Exceptions to the RLTO to ensure the law applies to you.
For …
This Ordinance applies to residences within the city of Chicago only. Please see the Exceptions to the RLTO to ensure the law applies to you.
For tenants in suburban Chicagoland, please click here for the law …
What is radon?
Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, dense, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally in soil.
How does radon get into homes?
Radon gas forms naturally in the soil in the Midwest. When the gas is produced, …
Bedbugs have made the leap from apartments and homes to some of Chicago’s downtown office buildings and government headquarters.
And late last month, a “government office in the Loop” brought in Meron Kahssai, resident bedbug expert …
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs prefer human blood, but can also feed on pets if people aren’t present.
Are bed bugs disease …
Bed bug complaints on the Metropolitan Tenants Organization Hotline have gone from none to at least 200 calls a year. WBBM’s John Cody reports.
If you have bed bugs in the Chicagoland area, call the …
The Chicago Housing Authority is accepting applications for tenants who are in need of affordable housing.
Applications will be accepted from June 14, 2010 to July 9, 2010. Of all applications received, CHA will randomly pull …
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