has entered into an annual written agreement with Prairie State Legal Services, Inc.
(PSLS), to administer the Fair Housing Program of Lake County from its office in
Waukegan. This agreement is funded by County CDBG funds, and PSLS performs
additional fair housing work in Lake County funded by HUD directly. Per the CDBG
agreement, PSLS is responsible for the following fair housing activities: education and
outreach, counseling and referrals, investigation and testing, negotiation and legal
services, communications and marketing, and fundraising. The activities under each of
these categories are listed in the following sections.
Education and Outreach
Provide educational programs for Lake County community organizations and
landlords, and attend regular meetings of the Lake County Apartment
Association.
Respond to requests from the County to provide educational information to
County municipalities and reach out to developers and managers of apartment
communities.
Counseling and Referrals
Answer questions from individuals and families who may not receive “fair and
lawful” treatment in their housing search.
Provide information on housing rights.
Refer households to enforcement agencies or other programs as needed.
Investigation and Testing
Investigate complaints of discrimination. If discrimination is indicated, conduct
testing if funding is available under the grant.
Monitor public information on housing issues, including in the media. If
advertising or media coverage is not complying with the Fair Housing Act,
advocate for practices that do comply with the act.
Negotiation and Legal Services
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Assist households by providing negotiation and dispute resolution in response to
discrimination claims.
Provide counsel and support to households on the process for determining
whether or not to follow through with litigation.
The Lake County Fair Housing Center was established in 2003 and operated by SER Jobs for
Progress, Inc., a national direct service organization with a Lake County affiliate until 2011.
APPLIED REAL ESTATE ANALYSIS, INC.
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LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS