Landlords No Longer Have Option to Deny Section 8

Up until recently, it was the landlord's discretion on whether he or she would allow Section 8 tenants. That all changed on May 8 as the Cook County Board approved a measure that would penalize landlords for discriminating against Section 8 voucher holders. 

For example, the Illinois Fair Housing Law states that one cannot deny an applicant based on race, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, disability, presence of children or sexual orientation. Now, Section 8 voucher holders have been added to that list.

The measure passed 9-6.

If a prospective Section 8 holder believes they were denied a unit because of their voucher status, they now have the right to file a complaint with the Cook County Commission on Human Rights.

According to Open Communities, a nonprofit organization that pushes for equal housing rights, there are approximately 15,000 voucher holders in Cook County.

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