Volunteers are essential to the important work we do, and we make every effort to match them with assignments which use their particular skills to make it possible for Open Communities to do more of its important work.
Volunteers:

  • Conduct intake of prospective clients
  • Maintain the accuracy and currency of Website and other social media
  • Create promotional materials
  • Help plan and conduct community outreach
  • Recruit volunteers to represent Open Communities at public events, and attend those events themselves.
  • Assist with preparation of, and financial reporting on government grants
  • Research legal and factual issues related to Open Communities’s cases
  • Other tasks as assigned, including assisting Director of Fair Housing, Fair Housing Testing Coordinator, Landlord-Tenant Liaison and Intake Specialist/Housing Counselor with their tasks

Civil rights investigators are also essential to our work. Investigators receive a stipend. Find more information about this important service here.

Take Action!

You have the right to live where you choose.
This right entitles you to equal treatment from landlords, real estate professionals, bankers, insurance companies and government agencies when you rent or buy a home. Federal, state, and local laws protect each of us from being discriminated against because of personal characteristics. The U.S. Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or familial status. In addition, Illinois protects individuals from housing discrimination on the basis of age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, or military discharge status. Cook County adds source of income and housing status as protected classes.

Learn More