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Public Act 103-0215


 

Public Act 0215 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
Public Act 103-0215
 
SB1367 EnrolledLRB103 27724 KTG 54101 b

    AN ACT concerning housing.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Housing Authorities Act is amended by
changing Sections 8.10a, 17, 25, 25.01, and 25.02 as follows:
 
    (310 ILCS 10/8.10a)
    Sec. 8.10a. Criminal history record and housing data.
    (a) Every Authority organized under the provisions of this
Act shall collect the following criminal history record data:
        (1) the number of applications submitted for admission
    to federally assisted housing;
        (2) the number of applications submitted for admission
    to federally assisted housing by individuals with a
    criminal history record, if the Authority is conducting
    criminal history records checks of applicants or other
    household members;
        (3) the number of applications for admission to
    federally assisted housing that were denied on the basis
    of a criminal history record, if the Authority is
    conducting criminal history records checks of applicants
    or other household members;
        (4) the number of criminal records assessment hearings
    requested by applicants for housing who were denied
    federally assisted housing on the basis of a criminal
    history records check; and
        (5) the number of denials for federally assisted
    housing that were overturned after a criminal records
    assessment hearing.
    (b) The information required in this subsection Section
shall be disaggregated by the race, ethnicity, and sex of
applicants for housing.
    (b) Every Authority organized under the provisions of this
Act shall collect the following data:
        (1) the number of vacant rental units within each
    housing project operated by the Authority; and
        (2) information on whether each waiting list
    maintained by the Authority is open or closed.
    (c) The information collected under subsections (a) and
(b) This information shall be reported to the Illinois
Criminal Justice Information Authority and shall be compiled
and reported to the General Assembly annually by the Illinois
Criminal Justice Information Authority. The Illinois Criminal
Justice Information Authority shall also make this report
publicly available, including on its website, without fee.
    
(Source: P.A. 101-659, eff. 3-23-21.)
 
    (310 ILCS 10/17)  (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 17)
    Sec. 17. Definitions. The following terms, wherever used
or referred to in this Act shall have the following respective
meanings, unless in any case a different meaning clearly
appears from the context:
    (a) "Authority" or "housing authority" shall mean a
municipal corporation organized in accordance with the
provisions of this Act for the purposes, with the powers and
subject to the restrictions herein set forth.
    (b) "Area" or "area of operation" shall mean: (1) in the
case of an authority which is created hereunder for a city,
village, or incorporated town, the area within the territorial
boundaries of said city, village, or incorporated town, and so
long as no county housing authority has jurisdiction therein,
the area within three miles from such territorial boundaries,
except any part of such area located within the territorial
boundaries of any other city, village, or incorporated town;
and (2) in the case of a county shall include all of the county
except the area of any city, village or incorporated town
located therein in which there is an Authority. When an
authority is created for a county subsequent to the creation
of an authority for a city, village or incorporated town
within the same county, the area of operation of the authority
for such city, village or incorporated town shall thereafter
be limited to the territory of such city, village or
incorporated town, but the authority for such city, village or
incorporated town may continue to operate any project
developed in whole or in part in an area previously a part of
its area of operation, or may contract with the county housing
authority with respect to the sale, lease, development or
administration of such project. When an authority is created
for a city, village or incorporated town subsequent to the
creation of a county housing authority which previously
included such city, village or incorporated town within its
area of operation, such county housing authority shall have no
power to create any additional project within the city,
village or incorporated town, but any existing project in the
city, village or incorporated town currently owned and
operated by the county housing authority shall remain in the
ownership, operation, custody and control of the county
housing authority.
    (b-5) "Criminal history record" means a record of arrest,
complaint, indictment, or any disposition arising therefrom.
    (b-6) "Criminal history report" means any written, oral,
or other communication of information that includes criminal
history record information about a natural person that is
produced by a law enforcement agency, a court, a consumer
reporting agency, or a housing screening agency or business.
    (c) "Presiding officer" shall mean the presiding officer
of the board of a county, or the mayor or president of a city,
village or incorporated town, as the case may be, for which an
Authority is created hereunder.
    (d) "Commissioner" shall mean one of the members of an
Authority appointed in accordance with the provisions of this
Act.
    (e) "Government" shall include the State and Federal
governments and the governments of any subdivisions, agency or
instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of either of them.
    (f) "Department" shall mean the Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity.
    (g) "Project" shall include all lands, buildings, and
improvements, acquired, owned, leased, managed or operated by
a housing authority, and all buildings and improvements
constructed, reconstructed or repaired by a housing authority,
designed to provide housing accommodations and facilities
appurtenant thereto (including community facilities and
stores) which are planned as a unit, whether or not acquired or
constructed at one time even though all or a portion of the
buildings are not contiguous or adjacent to one another; and
the planning of buildings and improvements, the acquisition of
property, the demolition of existing structures, the clearing
of land, the construction, reconstruction, and repair of
buildings or improvements and all other work in connection
therewith. As provided in Sections 8.14 to 8.18, inclusive,
"project" also means, for Housing Authorities for
municipalities of less than 500,000 population and for
counties, the conservation of urban areas in accordance with
an approved conservation plan. "Project" shall also include:
        (1) acquisition of:
            (i) a slum or blighted area or a deteriorated or
        deteriorating area which is predominantly residential
        in character, or
            (ii) any other deteriorated or deteriorating area
        which is to be developed or redeveloped for
        predominantly residential uses, or
            (iii) platted urban or suburban land which is
        predominantly open and which because of obsolete
        platting, diversity of ownership, deterioration of
        structures or of site improvements, or otherwise
        substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of
        the community and which is to be developed for
        predominantly residential uses, or
            (iv) open unplatted urban or suburban land
        necessary for sound community growth which is to be
        developed for predominantly residential uses, or
            (v) any other area where parcels of land remain
        undeveloped because of improper platting, delinquent
        taxes or special assessments, scattered or uncertain
        ownerships, clouds on title, artificial values due to
        excessive utility costs, or any other impediments to
        the use of such area for predominantly residential
        uses;
        (2) installation, construction, or reconstruction of
    streets, utilities, and other site improvements essential
    to the preparation of sites for uses in accordance with
    the development or redevelopment plan; and
        (3) making the land available for development or
    redevelopment by private enterprise or public agencies
    (including sale, initial leasing, or retention by the
    local public agency itself).
    If, in any city, village, or incorporated town, there
exists a land clearance commission created under the Blighted
Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947 (repealed) prior to August 20,
2021 (the effective date of Public Act 102-510) having the
same area of operation as a housing authority created in and
for any such municipality, such housing authority shall have
no power to acquire land of the character described in
subparagraph (iii), (iv), or (v) of paragraph (1) of the
definition of "project" for the purpose of development or
redevelopment by private enterprise.
    (h) "Community facilities" shall include lands, buildings,
and equipment for recreation or social assembly, for
education, health or welfare activities and other necessary
utilities primarily for use and benefit of the occupants of
housing accommodations to be constructed, reconstructed,
repaired or operated hereunder.
    (i) "Real property" shall include lands, lands under
water, structures, and any and all easements, franchises and
incorporeal hereditaments and estates, and rights, legal and
equitable, including terms for years and liens by way of
judgment, mortgage or otherwise.
    (j) The term "governing body" shall include the city
council of any city, the president and board of trustees of any
village or incorporated town, the council of any city or
village, and the county board of any county.
    (k) The phrase "individual, association, corporation or
organization" shall include any individual, private
corporation, limited or general partnership, limited liability
company, insurance company, housing corporation, neighborhood
redevelopment corporation, non-profit corporation,
incorporated or unincorporated group or association,
educational institution, hospital, or charitable organization,
and any mutual ownership or cooperative organization.
    (l) "Conservation area", for the purpose of the exercise
of the powers granted in Sections 8.14 to 8.18, inclusive, for
housing authorities for municipalities of less than 500,000
population and for counties, means an area of not less than 2
acres in which the structures in 50% or more of the area are
residential having an average age of 35 years or more. Such an
area by reason of dilapidation, obsolescence, deterioration or
illegal use of individual structures, overcrowding of
structures and community facilities, conversion of residential
units into non-residential use, deleterious land use or
layout, decline of physical maintenance, lack of community
planning, or any combination of these factors may become a
slum and blighted area.
    (m) "Conservation plan" means the comprehensive program
for the physical development and replanning of a "Conservation
Area" as defined in paragraph (l) embodying the steps required
to prevent such Conservation Area from becoming a slum and
blighted area.
    (n) "Fair use value" means the fair cash market value of
real property when employed for the use contemplated by a
"Conservation Plan" in municipalities of less than 500,000
population and in counties.
    (o) "Community facilities" means, in relation to a
"Conservation Plan", those physical plants which implement,
support and facilitate the activities, services and interests
of education, recreation, shopping, health, welfare, religion
and general culture.
    (p) "Loan agreement" means any agreement pursuant to which
an Authority agrees to loan the proceeds of its revenue bonds
issued with respect to a multifamily rental housing project or
other funds of the Authority to any person upon terms
providing for loan repayment installments at least sufficient
to pay when due all principal of, premium, if any, and interest
on the revenue bonds of the Authority issued with respect to
the multifamily rental housing project, and providing for
maintenance, insurance, and other matters as may be deemed
desirable by the Authority.
    (q) "Multifamily rental housing" means any rental project
designed for mixed-income or low-income occupancy.
    (r) "Federally assisted housing" means any housing units
or subsidized housing programs funded in whole or in part by
the federal government including all properties owned or
financed by a housing authority, or a subsidiary or
partnership in which the housing authority is a member.
(Source: P.A. 101-659, eff. 3-23-21; 102-510, eff. 8-20-21;
102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
 
    (310 ILCS 10/25)   (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 25)
    Sec. 25. Rentals and tenant selection. In the operation or
management of housing projects an Authority shall at all times
observe the following duties with respect to rentals and
tenant selection:
    (a) It shall not accept any person as a tenant in any
dwelling in a housing project if the persons who would occupy
the dwelling have an aggregate annual income which equals or
exceeds the amount which the Authority determines (which
determination shall be conclusive) to be necessary in order to
enable such persons to secure safe, sanitary and uncongested
dwelling accommodations within the area of operation of the
Authority and to provide an adequate standard of living for
themselves.
    (b) It may rent or lease the dwelling accommodations
therein only at rentals within the financial reach of persons
who lack the amount of income which it determines (pursuant to
(a) of this Section) to be necessary in order to obtain safe,
sanitary and uncongested dwelling accommodations within the
area of operation of the Authority and to provide an adequate
standard of living.
    (c) It may rent or lease to a tenant a dwelling consisting
of the number of rooms (but no greater number) which it deems
necessary to provide safe and sanitary accommodations to the
proposed occupants thereof, without overcrowding.
    (d) It shall not change the residency preference of any
prospective tenant once the application has been accepted by
the authority.
    (e) If an Authority desires a criminal history records
check of all 50 states or a 50-state confirmation of a
conviction record, the Authority shall submit the fingerprints
of the relevant applicant, tenant, or other household member
to the Illinois State Police in a manner prescribed by the
Illinois State Police. These fingerprints shall be checked
against the fingerprint records now and hereafter filed in the
Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation
criminal history records databases. The Illinois State Police
shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records
check, which shall be deposited in the State Police Services
Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the records check.
The Illinois State Police shall furnish pursuant to positive
identification, records of conviction to the Authority. An
Authority that requests a criminal history report of an
applicant or other household member shall inform the applicant
at the time of the request that the applicant or other
household member may provide additional mitigating information
for consideration with the application for housing.
    (e-5) Criminal history record assessment. The Authority
shall use the following process when evaluating the criminal
history report of an applicant or other household member to
determine whether to rent or lease to the applicant:
        (1) Unless required by federal law, the Authority
    shall not consider the following information when
    determining eligibility for federally assisted housing
    whether to rent or lease to an applicant for housing:
            (A) an arrest or detention;
            (B) criminal charges or indictments, and the
        nature of any disposition arising therefrom, that do
        not result in a conviction;
            (C) a conviction that has been vacated, ordered,
        expunged, sealed, or impounded by a court;
            (D) matters under the jurisdiction of the Illinois
        Juvenile Court;
            (E) the amount of time since the applicant or
        other household member completed his or her sentence
        in prison or jail or was released from prison or jail;
        or
            (F) convictions occurring more than 180 days prior
        to the date the applicant's applicant submitted his or
        her application for housing is reviewed for
        acceptance.
        (2) The Authority shall create a system for the
    independent review of criminal history reports:
            (A) the reviewer shall examine the applicant's or
        other household member's criminal history report and
        report only those records not prohibited under
        paragraph (1) to the person or persons making the
        decision about whether to offer federally assisted
        housing to the applicant; and
            (B) the reviewer shall not participate in any
        final decisions on an applicant's application for
        federally assisted housing.
        (3) The Authority may deny an applicant's application
    for federally assisted housing because of the applicant's
    or another household member's criminal history record,
    only if the Authority:
            (A) determines that the denial is required under
        federal law; or
            (B) determines that there is a direct relationship
        between the applicant or the other household member's
        criminal history record and a risk to the health,
        safety, and peaceful enjoyment of fellow tenants. The
        mere existence of a criminal history record does not
        demonstrate such a risk.
    (f) It may, if a tenant has created or maintained a threat
constituting a serious and clear danger to the health or
safety of other tenants or Authority employees, after 3 days'
written notice of termination and without a hearing, file suit
against any such tenant for recovery of possession of the
premises. The tenant shall be given the opportunity to contest
the termination in the court proceedings. A serious and clear
danger to the health or safety of other tenants or Authority
employees shall include, but not be limited to, any of the
following activities of the tenant or of any other person on
the premises with the consent of the tenant:
        (1) Physical assault or the threat of physical
    assault.
        (2) Illegal use of a firearm or other weapon or the
    threat to use in an illegal manner a firearm or other
    weapon.
        (3) Possession of a controlled substance by the tenant
    or any other person on the premises with the consent of the
    tenant if the tenant knew or should have known of the
    possession by the other person of a controlled substance,
    unless the controlled substance was obtained directly from
    or pursuant to a valid prescription.
        (4) Streetgang membership as defined in the Illinois
    Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.
    The management of low-rent public housing projects
financed and developed under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937
shall be in accordance with that Act.
    Nothing contained in this Section or any other Section of
this Act shall be construed as limiting the power of an
Authority to vest in a bondholder or trustee the right, in the
event of a default by the Authority, to take possession and
operate a housing project or cause the appointment of a
receiver thereof, free from all restrictions imposed by this
Section or any other Section of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 101-659, eff. 3-23-21; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21;
102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
 
    (310 ILCS 10/25.01)
    Sec. 25.01. Notification. Before denying an applicant's
federally assisted housing application based, in whole or in
part, on a criminal history record permitted under this Act,
the Authority shall provide the opportunity for an individual
assessment. The applicant for federally assisted housing shall
be provided with a clear, written notice that:
        (1) explains why the Authority has determined that the
    criminal history report it obtained requires further
    review, including detailed information on whether the need
    for further review is based on federal law or on the
    Authority's determination that the criminal history record
    of the applicant or other household member indicates a
    risk to the health, safety, or peaceful enjoyment of
    housing for other residents;
        (2) identifies the specific conviction or convictions
    upon which the Authority relied upon when making its
    decision to deny the applicant's federally assisted
    housing application;
        (3) explains that the applicant has a right to an
    individualized criminal records assessment hearing
    regarding the Authority's decision to deny the applicant's
    federally assisted housing application, as set forth in
    Section 25.02;
        (4) provides clear instructions on what to expect
    during an individualized criminal records assessment
    hearing, as set forth in Section 25.02;
        (5) explains that if the applicant chooses not to
    participate in an individualized criminal records
    assessment hearing, the applicant's application will be
    denied; and
        (6) provides a copy of the criminal history report the
    Authority used to make its determination.
(Source: P.A. 101-659, eff. 3-23-21.)
 
    (310 ILCS 10/25.02)
    Sec. 25.02. Criminal records assessment hearing.
    (a) An applicant has the right to an individualized
criminal records assessment hearing if the applicant's
application for federally assisted housing requires further
review because of the applicant's or another household
member's criminal history record. The individualized criminal
records assessment hearing shall allow the applicant or other
household member to:
        (1) contest the accuracy of the criminal history
    record;
        (2) contest the relevance of the criminal history
    record to the Authority's decision to deny the applicant's
    application for federally assisted housing; and
        (3) provide mitigating evidence concerning the
    applicant's or other household member's criminal
    conviction or evidence of rehabilitation.
    (b) The Authority shall not rent or lease to any other
person the available federally assisted housing unit that is
the subject of the applicant's individualized criminal records
assessment hearing until after the Authority has issued a
final ruling.
    (c) The Authority shall adopt rules for criminal records
assessment hearings in accordance with Article 10 of the
Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
(Source: P.A. 101-659, eff. 3-23-21.)

Effective Date: 1/1/2024