Updates on January Calls to Action

In January, Joining Forces for Affordable Housing made several calls to action. Here is an update on results. Many thanks to those of you who participated!

Cook County Shelter Sign-On Letter
On January 19, we asked advocates to sign on to a letter to  Cook County officials and staff, asking them to support development of new fixed-site homeless shelters. This is an ongoing issue. So far, 135 organizations and 1,025 individuals have signed on. Click here to read the letter, see sign-ons so far, and add your name or organization.

SB 3066--State Legislative Package for Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention
On January 9, we asked supporters to file witness slips in favor of Senate Bill 3066. In less than 24 hours, partnering with Housing Action Illinois and other advocacy groups, we generated 1,031 witness slips in favor of the legislation, more than the opposition (841), and the bill was approved by the state House of Representatives. Unfortunately, the bill was not called for discussion or vote in the Senate. The bill's originator, Representative Delia Ramirez, released this statement. 

Key Provisions:

• ​Automatic and mandatory eviction sealing from beginning of state COVID-19 emergency declaration through September 30, 2022. Certain mandatory sealing provisions are permanent: if doing so is in the interests of justice, the parties agree to seal the court file, the tenant did not violate the lease, or there was no judgment entered against the tenant.
• Prohibits tenant screening companies from disseminating a sealed eviction court record. 
• Extends the current statewide eviction moratorium through September 30, 2021. This provision will eliminate the uncertainty for tenants and rental property owners caused by legal restrictions on the Governor’s ability to extend the moratorium by executive order beyond 30 days at a time. It will also provide the time necessary to distribute approximately $850 million in rental assistance included in the most recent federal COVID-19 relief package that state and local governments in Illinois will administer.
• Codifies certain provisions of the federally-funded emergency rental assistance program the State of Illinois will be administering during 2021. The provisions are intended to ensure that people with the lowest incomes and most severe housing needs are able to access rent assistance. 
• Creates a temporary COVID-19 emergency homeowner and small landlord foreclosure moratorium by halting foreclosure proceedings for homeowners and small landlords through September 30, 2021. 
• In the period after the end of the eviction moratorium, starting on October 1, 2021, creates a rebuttable presumption that the tenant is suffering from a COVID-19 related financial hardship that can be used as a defense against eviction for nonpayment of rent through September 30, 2022.