HR0487 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0487 LRB095 12352 GRL 37123 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the State of Illinois has as goals the elimination of poverty and of inequality; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended, enunciates a national policy of fair housing without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and handicap, and encourages fair housing opportunities for all citizens; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Human Rights Act further safeguards the rights of all citizens of this state to freedom from housing discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, military status, sexual orientation, or unfavorable discharge from military service in connection with employment, real estate transactions, access to financial credit, and the availability of public accommodations; and

WHEREAS, It is the policy of the State of Illinois to establish Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action in all of its decisions, programs, and activities and to eliminate the effects of past discrimination; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois' Annual Housing Plan identifies fair housing as a principal goal; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Fair Housing Act calls for affirmative action to further equal access to housing opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Provisions to affirmatively further fair housing are principal and long-standing components of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, including the Community Development Block Grant program, and require that recipients, including the State of Illinois, certify that they conduct an analysis of impediments to fair housing and affirmatively further fair housing; and

WHEREAS, In spite of modest progress, segregation in housing, due in large measure to ongoing discrimination, is well-documented in the Chicago region and throughout Illinois, and research finds that opportunities to access the Chicago regional housing market varies for different racial and minority groups, including those with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Other problems of poverty and inequality that the State wishes to ameliorate are exacerbated or reinforced by existing patterns of segregation; and

WHEREAS, Illegal barriers to equal opportunity in housing, no matter how subtle, that diminish the rights of some of our citizens diminish the rights of all of our citizens; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that in the pursuit of the goal and responsibility of providing fair and equal housing opportunities for all, the State of Illinois, in all housing, community development, and economic development grants and programs, shall promote fair housing, enforce fair housing laws, and apply an affirmative standard to assure compliance with state and federal requirements.