HB 5432 will ban outright all local crime-free housing ordinances throughout the state. These local regulations are passed under the guise of crime reduction and community safety. However, in reality, these laws serve to promote discrimination and punish crime victims. Illinois REALTORS® has advocated at the local level for 20 years for the abolishment of these policies and this state law will effectively end them once and for all.

Crime-free housing ordinances require landlords to evict tenants for even the most minor “contact” with any form of law enforcement. Proponents of these requirements argue that where there is law enforcement, there must be crime and therefore tenants connected to the presence of the police must be involved in criminal activity.

Evidence has shown throughout the country that these laws are usually predicated on discriminatory motives, or at least end up having discriminatory effects. The local laws focus primarily on minority and low-income renters. The laws perpetuate housing instability for those who are already experiencing historic disinvestment in their communities and institutional inequities.

One seemingly obvious consequence of these types of laws is the potential for punishing victims and survivors of domestic violence. As a result, Illinois REALTORS® helped lead an effort in 2015 to create a carve out for those experiencing domestic violence so they aren’t penalized for needing the assistance of law enforcement to protect them and their family.

HB 5432 will now eliminate the need for exceptions like the one created in 2015, by prohibiting all municipalities from enacting or enforcing local crime-free housing ordinances. This small but meaningful step will enhance housing stability for thousands throughout the state and will eliminate one last remaining vestige of discrimination from housing in Illinois.