Fair Housing Law: Local Fair Housing Laws

Cook County, Chicago, and other local municipalities have provisions in their ordinances addressing fair housing issues. Often the ordiances also create local agencies that take and adjudicate discrimination complaints.

In 1963 the City of Chicago passed a fair housing ordinance which provided protection against discrimination under certain circumstances. Since then the ordinance has been amended to expand the number of prohibited practices.

• Municipal Code of Chicago 1990: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Chicago, Illinois (Seattle, Wash: Book Publishing Co, 1990). KF 1231. A6 1990 9th fl. Print version of the Chicago city code, including fair housing provisions.
• Chicago Human Rights Ordinance Chicago Municipal Code §6-10-010 et. seq.
• Chicago Fair Housing Ordinance Chicago Municipal Code §5-8-010 et.seq.
• Chicago Commission on Human Relations is the implementing agency for the Chicago fair housing and related ordinances
• City of Chicago Decisions & Precedents in Discrimination Cases contain precedential decisions and a digest of rulings. Most commission decisions can also be found on Westlaw.
• Chicago (Ill.), Subject Matter Index / City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations (Chicago: City of Chicago, 2006). KFX1234. S83 9th Fl. This finding tool index ruling and decisions of the Human Relations Commission from 1990-2006, with periodic updates.

Cook County also has provisions in its ordinances prohibiting certain discriminatory practices. The Cook County Human Rights Commission implements the ordinances prohibiting discrimination.

• Cook County Human Rights Ordinance Cook County Code of Ordinances § 42-30 et seq. 
• Decisions of the Cook County Human Rights Commission. 

Many other local municipalities also have provision covering fair housing.  American Legal Publishing’s Code Library provides access to local codes by state.