This past April, the Cook County Board passed the Just Housing Amendment. This amendment is an addition to the current Cook County Human Rights Ordinance that was introduced back in the early 90s. The Human Rights Ordinance has “standard fair housing provisions” but will add a new protected class regarding criminal background, which is not a typical protected class. This amendment says that you cannot be discriminated against based on your criminal history. This new amendment is said to go into effect sometime in October.
Illinois REALTORS® released a podcast talking about the new amendment with Illinois REALTORS® Senior Director of Local Advocacy and Global Programs, Mike Scobey, and how this can effect landlords in Cook County. You can listen to the podcast from Illinois REALTORS® here.