SECTION VI.
FAIR HOUSING COMPLAINTS
Individuals who are seeking housing in Lake County and who want to file a housing
discrimination complaint with an enforcement agency can file the complaint with the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and
Equal Opportunity (FHEO) or the State of Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR).
Both HUD and IDHR provided Lake County with data on fair housing complaints filed in
the County from 2008 through 2013.
In reviewing the complaint data, there are two points that should be kept in mind. First,
in some cases, a complaint may have been originally filed with HUD, which in turn
assigned it to the State to investigate. As a result, there may be duplicate complaints
submitted to FHEO and IDHR. Second, the protected classes at the federal and state
levels differ. The federal protected classes include race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, disability, age, and familial status. The State of Illinois expanded upon these
classes by adding religion, sexual orientation, marital status, military status and
unfavorable military discharge, arrest record, victims of sexual harassment, and
individuals with orders of protection, for victims of domestic violence.
Exhibit VI-1.
Filed Fair Housing Complaints,
Lake County
FY 2008
19
Number of
Filed
Cases:
IDHR
18
FY 2009
28
23
FY 2010
24
23
FY 2011
30
35
FY 2012
12
14
FY 2013
19
21
Total
132
134
Fiscal Year
Filed
Number of Filed
Cases: HUD
Source: Illinois Department of Human Resources;
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
96
APPLIED REAL ESTATE ANALYSIS, INC.
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS