The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination due to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. What you don't see on that list but what we see at Open Communities is discrimination against age. Fortunately for our clients, we serve Illinois, and the Illinois Human Rights Act extends federal housing protections to include age (defined as 40 and over). Many of the age-related housing discrimination calls we get are disability-

This year, Evanston's City Council is considering ways to upgrade the current RLTO, the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance. The RLTO is the law that sets the fundamental rights and responsibilities for both landlords and tenants in Evanston. It establishes rules such as: the amount landlords can charge for security deposits what they can and cannot write in their leases how much notice landlords must give for rent increases or non-renewals of someone's lease which repai

Open Communities launches a new eviction prevention program for justice-impacted people.

Interview with Mary Ellen Ball from Open Communities about eviction prevention on WBBM-AM Newsradio.

Open Communities' CEO Mary Ellen Ball talks with WGN-TV about the eviction moratorium expiring and what people should do.

The Open Communities staff gathered in person for the first time in many months, thanks to Covid-19, to make plans for the coming year.

Open Communities' CEO Mary Ellen Ball talks with Fox-32 in Chicago about the eviction moratorium ending and what people need to know.

Open Communities offers steps to take if you are facing eviction.

The Daily Northwestern covers Open Communities' participation in the Cook County Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Open Communities Jasemen Hatcher talks with Evanston Live TV.

Open Communities hosts a series of free workshops and events for 2021 Fair Housing Month.

Mary Ellen Ball and Jasemen Hatcher of Open Communities talk about evictions on WCPT-AM.

An interview with Jasemen Hatcher, Open Communities' Director of Housing Programs and Education, and the Daily Northwestern.

Maurya Delaney, Director of Development at Open Communities talks about how Covid-19 has affected housing in the Chicago suburbs.