Gong-Gershowitz Measure to Promote Ethical Housing Applications Process Signed into Law

GLENVIEW, Ill. – In her roles as Chair of the House Immigration and Human Rights Committee as well as a champion for housing rights, state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, passed House Bill 4605, which secures the right to a jury trial for people unfairly discriminated against while seeking a place to live.

“I’m committed to securing human rights for all Illinoisans, and access to affordable, sustainable housing is a big part of that,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “Many of us take reliable housing for granted, but for people who have a hard time getting a home, it can be a crushing challenge. When people can’t get long-term housing, they can’t build lives. Parents facing housing insecurity worry about how they’re going to keep their kids safe. This bill is going to immediately give legal recourse to anyone being targeted for discriminatory reasons. I’d like to thank Governor Pritzker for helping make that happen.”

Gong-Gershowitz passed House Bill 4605, legislation that allows people denied housing based on discrimination to have a jury trial. This legislation has strong backing from the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. It passed the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on Friday.

“Housing is an issue that quickly grows beyond the scope of owning a home. When people are facing housing insecurity, they are more likely to turn to crime, they are less likely to contribute to their communities, kids drop out of school; the list goes on. Cracking down on barriers to housing is an important step to addressing all of those issues,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “I will continue to work to combat housing insecurity and to more broadly secure human rights for all Illinoisans.”