Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance

In this report, the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance
(CAFHA) details the extent of housing discrimination and segregation in
the region and outlines a blueprint for change. This report
demonstrates the need to prioritize fair housing activities and
provides a plan for progress that will ensure equal housing
opportunity, promote integration, and improve regional sustainability.
Kathy Clark, CAFHA's president, notes, "Discrimination and segregation
both harm individuals and adversely impact goals of regional growth."

Key findings include:
In 2007, a total of 2,252 complaints were filed with private fair housing agencies in the Chicago region.
*The average non-white household faces some form of discrimination approximately half the time it searches for housing.
*In 2007, the Illinois Department of Human Rights received 259 fair
housing complaints originating in the six-county Chicago region.
*Recent research shows that whites self-segregate more than other groups.

Rob Breymaier, a CAFHA director and co-author of the report notes,
"Immediate action is needed to address and remedy the structural forces
that perpetuate segregation and enable discrimination." Key
recommendations include that:
*The State take an active role in providing for non-profit fair housing
activities by allocating $1 million of its operating budget annually to
fund private non-profit fair housing organizations;
*The Illinois Housing Development Authority adopt plans to foster
affordable housing development for families and other protected persons
in high-opportunity communities;
*The State add source of income protection that includes Housing Choice
Vouchers and Cook County eliminate its exclusion of Housing Choice
Vouchers (Section 8) in its source of income protection;
*The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Cook
County hold accountable entitlement jurisdiction communities and
sub-recipients, respectively, that fail to provide for the affirmative
furthering of fair housing;
*Community Reinvestment Act examinations put more emphasis on locating
bank branches of depository institutions in underserved areas, and
lenders and underwriters formulate responsible lending products for
communities of color;
*Real estate companies develop policies to provide wide ranges of
listings to their clients that include neighborhoods with a variety of
demographics;
*The State prioritize economic development in communities with few jobs or declining job growth;
*Municipalities require inspection(s) of state and federal
accessibility requirements during the construction phase of new
multi-family buildings and buildings undergoing substantial rehab; and
*Municipalities develop policies to integrate immigrants into their
communities rather than engaging in selective enforcement and making
immigration enforcement a local priority.

The Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance is an association of private
fair housing organizations, governmental bodies, and other concerned
groups in the Chicago metropolitan area. The purposes of CAFHA are to
develop and support programs that further fair housing rights and
opportunities; develop strategies to promote long-term racial diversity
and integration; and take steps to combat discrimination and harassment
based on race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin,
ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, military
discharge status, source of income or housing status.