Waukegan Fair Housing Complaints
The City of Waukegan shows the highest number of fair housing complaints at 25 total
complaints over five years between 2008 and 2013. Waukegan is the largest
municipality in Lake County, though, and these complaints taken on a per capita basis
show the complaint level in Waukegan near the median for all municipalities in Lake
County. Of the complaints filed in Waukegan, nine list race as the protected class, eight
list disability, six list national origin, three list family status, and three list gender.
In 2012, the City of Waukegan passed an official fair housing ordinance and fair housing
enforcement policy as a section of their municipal code. It has also funded Prairie State
Legal Services with Community Development Block Grant Funds to assist seniors and
disabled persons with legal defense for violation of human rights, including the right to
fair housing.
North Chicago Fair Housing Complaints
The City of North Chicago shows nine fair housing complaints over a five-year
period. This amount is near the high end for all municipalities in Lake County but at the
median for per-capita complaints in Lake County. Of the complaints filed in North
Chicago, five listed disability as the protected class, two listed national origin, two listed
race, and one listed family status. Each complaint can contain more than one offending
act and/or protected class, so the total number of protected classes listed is greater
than the number of complaints.
COMPLAINT-BASED FAIR HOUSING TESTING
Complaint-based testing refers to housing discrimination testing conducted at a given
property in response to a specific complaint. Both Open Communities (OC) and Prairie
State Legal Services (PSLS) have conducted complaint-based testing in Lake County.
The results of most complaint-based testing are confidential because the testing is
associated with fair housing litigation.
OC has conducted complaint-based testing in several communities in Lake County for
three years. Testing for fair housing complaints has occurred in Highwood, Highland
Park, and Deerfield. Since 2009, OC has investigated 16 cases of alleged fair housing
discrimination acts, six of which were tested by using the complaint-based testing
method.
PSLS provides investigation for persons and families alleging discrimination. They
provide for testing in selected discrimination to the extent appropriate for the specific
case, with consideration of the available grant funds and the contracted fees charged by
the fair housing testing agency.
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APPLIED REAL ESTATE ANALYSIS, INC.
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS