April marks an important time of the year for HOPE and all those across the nation fighting housing discrimination, because April is Fair Housing Month! On April 11th we celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the passing of the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

  This month, we are also very excited to share our 2021 Spring Newsletter with you! Please read on to learn more about our upcoming fundraiser, open positions, news coverage, and more! From all of us at HOPE Fair Housing Center, thank you for supporting our mission and happy Fair Housing Month!

Exciting news- HB2775, which adds protections based on legal sources of income, has officially passed the Illinois House of Representatives! Next, the bill must be voted upon by the Senate in order for these protections to be adopted into law. Click here to find your local State Senator and urge them to support this bill!

HOPE is proud to be part of the The Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing, which is a growing group of impacted community members and advocates committed to making housing access in Illinois equitable and just. Despite the fair housing rights provided in the Illinois Human Rights Act, many Illinoisans face housing discrimination that locks them out of opportunities due to the exclusion of source of income (SOI) protections. Currently, landlords in areas without SOI protections can legally deny housing to individuals simply because they choose not to accept the applicant’s legal form of income such as Housing Choice Vouchers, SSI, SSDI, TANF, or child support, and unfortunately, this is all too common.

Click on the link below to watch our video and learn how source of income discrimination can impact a persons housing opportunities when looking for a place to call home: https://u1584542.ct.sendgrid.net/ss/c/atcYNHk4Eh2YdGnwBh-YDOJPR4Z5lDybbWIPhQSOR8GkrjYhl2GlxviVS4395A6TQFhXKWDa3L2yQWmvdQKrbmQoMJWX6ZxcBwgskSCAd7vDIVg9b9ALw5QWDsOJcRLEdk70KFtmOQfGP5rfdVHHw77dJAKOuFiTiYaoUEz6lTOI9S5chzfrVu2XeiOTr75uD6nYh47_nbXQlrlIj0qlxYIQK6fYsbG7Wb34yh7g1YTv-D1ousqa5X8Yp2jGqSQ5UHqmTl0dMa6GGBkaagpDvYpz-pa2RQtna6jgPcsyv3U/3bb/CPLg-BhFSbOHgoRMgVjyoQ/h3/u7kkgNAcMY4JNNlLGD0QNqu355r5-IZJlsrNvlvVIZA 

Our members include: Access Living – DRACH, Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance - HCV Working Group: City Tenant Leader Board, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Housing Action Illinois, Housing Choice Partners - Suburban HCV Working Group, Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, Northside Community Resources, and Shriver Center on Poverty Law.

Read our official press release

Read more about our efforts to pass source of income protections into law in all of Illinois!

Each year at the end of April, Giving DuPage, a nonprofit regularly collaborating with DuPage County nonprofit organizations, hosts a week-long fundraising event to support these local nonprofits. HOPE is excited to join over 100 other organizations by participating in this years event!

For an entire week, Monday April 26th through Friday April 30th, HOPE Fair Housing Center will be participating in the Giving DuPage's Giving Days fundraiser. This year our goal is to raise $4,000 to cover the cost of a 2021-2022 full-year AmeriCorps VISTA. This VISTA will help HOPE expand our resources and provide support to underserved areas of southern Illinois, and combat housing discrimination in these areas. Keep an eye out for more updates on this exciting event happening next week, and read on to learn more about our current opening for the 2021-2022 VISTA position at HOPE!

Fair Housing Testers

Like many fair housing agencies across the nation, HOPE relies on trained fair housing testers to uncover instances of discrimination in our communities. Testers act as "secret shoppers" to collect information about a housing transaction which our enforcement team can then compare to the experiences of other testers and look at any disparities in treatment. For their efforts, testers receive a stipend after each test they complete.

We are currently looking for individuals who are interested in becoming fair housing testers. No prior fair housing experience is required, and HOPE will provide all relevant training. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about becoming a fair housing tester, check out our Common Tester Questions handout and fill out our volunteer form on our website here.

AmeriCorps Full-Year and Summer Positions

HOPE Fair Housing Center is currently looking for a Summer 2021 AmeriCorps VISTA and a 2021-2022 Full Year VISTA. Per CDC recommendations and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, HOPE is taking necessary measures to keep our staff and our constituents safe, and  VISTA positions may be held either remotely or partially remote based on individual needs and safety recommendations. 

These VISTAs will be an important part of HOPE's work to grow our education and outreach efforts and establish a stronger presence in southern and western Illinois. If you or someone you know is interesting in finding out more about these available positions, please click on the links for the job listings on the AmeriCorps website below!

Learn More About the Full-Year VISTA Position

Learn More About the Summer 2021 VISTA Position

Carol O'Neill

It is with both great joy and sadness that we announce the retirement of our dear friend and beloved Financial Manager, Ms. Carol O’Neill. Carol joined HOPE back in the summer of 2011 and has been an outstanding addition to our team since. Her contributions to HOPE have been vital to our success and continuity over the years and Carol will greatly be missed. In retirement, Carol is looking forward to traveling, spending time with family, and generally enjoying life! Congratulations and good luck Carol! 

Rolando Santana

Another one bites the dust! Rolando Santana has been an integral part of HOPE’s enforcement team for the past 8 months, serving as HOPE’s Enforcement Intern. It has been a pleasure to host Rolando and we wish him nothing but the best of luck on his next venture as an intern at Stevenson High School. Thank you, Rolando, for being a fabulous team member and for all of the hard work you’ve done for HOPE!   

L'Quita Alexander

We would like to officially welcome Ms. L’Quita Alexander as HOPE’s new Financial Manager! L'Quita started on April 5th and joins HOPE with an impressive background in corporate accounting, and is excited to step into the non-profit world! L'Quita has a BS and MSA in Accountancy, as well as a PhD in Management. We are incredibly lucky to have her join our HOPE team!

Keep up with us on our social media!

HOPE Fair Housing Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to end housing discrimination across Illinois. Donations to HOPE are tax-deductible and help us further our mission of creating greater opportunities for all. Donations can be made at hopefair.org/contribute. Thank you for supporting HOPE and our mission!