Hirschauer Advances Language Access Bill for Renters Through Housing Committee

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Taking steps to eliminate language barriers in housing and rental agreements for non-English speakers, state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, advanced a
measure aimed at expanding online resources by requiring housing authorities to provide sample leases and agreements in multiple languages.

“This measure ultimately breaks down language barriers in leasing agreements so house and rental hunting is more accessible for families who do not speak English as their first language,” said Hirschauer. “Legal agreements can be confusing even for native English speakers, so for families that primarily speak another language, not having clear information can put them at risk of misunderstanding their rights, obligations, or facing eviction without knowing why.”

Currently, housing authorities are not required to create sample lease agreements. House Bill 1610 would change the law to require these authorities — who assist from investigating housing
issues to leasing property —to have sample leases and rental agreements available online in the three most common non-English languages spoken within its jurisdiction. House Bill 1610 advanced through the Housing Committee with the help of DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform, a local non-profit in Hirschauer’s district.

“This is a step forward in inclusive housing rights by requiring multilingual rental and leasing language be available online, so anyone going through this type of process can understand what
they’re signing,” said Hirschauer. “Making this a consistent accessible resource for renters eases an often stressful process for non-native speakers.”