[ACLU-CU ALERT] Speak up for Fair Housing in Champaign

[Champaign County ACLU Announcements]

Dear ACLU members:

If you live in the city of Champaign, you voice is needed in support of fair housing and racial justice for the June 25 Champaign city council study session on Section 17-4.5 of city code.

City council members' email addresses are at the end of this message.

Champaign's Human Rights Ordinance  prohibits discrimination in employment and in the sale of housing based on "prior arrest or conviction record."  But Section 17-4.5 of city code says that for rental of housing, landlords may discriminate based on an appli​cant's felony conviction record until the person has resided outside of jail or prison for 5 years without another conviction.

  *   The Champaign County Racial Justice Task Force and Champaign Human Relations Commission recommended repeal of 17-4.5 because this policy has a disparate impact on African American people due to the race disparity in household incomes, homeowner status and criminal conviction rates:

     *   Only 31% of African Americans in Champaign County are homeowners while 66% of Caucasians own their homes.
     *   The poverty rate for Caucasians in Champaign County is 17.5%; the poverty rate for African Americans is 41.5%.
     *   African Americans are twice as likely as Caucasians to be convicted of crimes like drug possession, despite a wealth of data showing drug use rates are the same for both populations.

  *   Even if the crime for which the person was convicted did not occur at a rental property and the person has a perfect rental history, the fact of the conviction can be the basis for denying a rental application.
  *   This exception allows rental property owners to arbitrarily increase a person’s criminal sentence for five years.
  *   No consideration is given for efforts at rehabilitation after conviction.
  *   Even a person whose sentence was probation must wait 5 years before regaining fair housing protection.
  *   A person convicted of any crime can immediately re-unite with family upon release if the family are homeowners; the 5-year wait is only for people whose families rent.
  *   Champaign County Re-Entry Council supports repeal of 17-4.5 because it undermines their efforts to reduce recidivism.
  *   City of Urbana has no such exception in its non-discrimination law and the rate of crime is NOT higher in Urbana than in Champaign


City council will study Section 17-4.5 on Tuesday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m. in city council chambers.


Please send a message to these city council members and the mayor asking they vote to repeal Section 17-4.5 of Champaign city code -- or speak in person at the council study session on June 25.


Clarissa Nickerson Fourman – District 1                    Tom Bruno – At-large

Clarissa.Fourman at champaignil.gov<mailto:Clarissa.Fourman at champaignil.gov>                          Tom.Bruno at champaignil.gov<mailto:Tom.Bruno at champaignil.gov>

Aliia Beck – District 2                                                     Will Kyles – At-large

Alicia.Beck at champaignil.gov<mailto:Alicia.Beck at champaignil.gov>                                     Will.Kyles at champaignil.gov<mailto:Will.Kyles at champaignil.gov>

Angie Brix – District 3                                                    Matthew Gladney – At-large

Angie.Brix at champaignil.gov<mailto:Angie.Brix at champaignil.gov>                                        Matthew.Gladney at champaignil.gov<mailto:Matthew.Gladney at champaignil.gov>

Greg Stock – District 4                                                  Deborah Frank Feinen – Mayor

Greg.Stock at champaignil.gov<mailto:Greg.Stock at champaignil.gov>                                                Deb.Feinen at champaignil.gov<mailto:Deb.Feinen at champaignil.gov>

Vanna Pianfetti – District 5

Vanna.Pianfetti at champaignil.gov<mailto:Vanna.Pianfetti at champaignil.gov>


Any questions?  Please write to ACLU chapter member Esther Patt.  estherpatt at hotmail.com<mailto:Matthew.Gladney at champaignil.gov>

Thank you for taking action for fair housing and racial justice.

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