Take action to protect victims of crime

It’s a horrifying scenario: you get assaulted. You call 911 for help. Then you get evicted because you called the police for help. This is very real for many people living across the state.
So-called “crime-free housing” or “nuisance” property ordinances often penalize tenants and landlords when police are called in response to alleged criminal activity at a property. A new Illinois law aims to protect victims of crime from the harms of these ordinances. The new law removes the threat of punishment and bars local governments from enacting or enforcing ordinances that punish tenants or landlords for calls to police in response to incidents of domestic or sexual violence or on behalf of a person with disabilities.

In advance of November 19, when the new law officially goes into effect, the ACLU of Illinois found more than 100 municipalities that have “crime-free housing” or “nuisance” property ordinances on the books. The ACLU (along with its partner, the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law) sent letters to more than 40 of those municipalities whose ordinances, as written, are most clearly in violation of the new law. We intend to monitor these municipalities for possible future legal action.

If you are a resident of one of the municipalities below whose ordinance violates the new state law, you can take action.

Tell your local officials: “I am not a nuisance!” Ask them to repeal any ordinance provisions that punish tenants and landlords for calling the police.

Look up your city/town below and click on the name of the person to send an email:

• Read more about local laws that punish tenants and landlords for calls to police
• If you have been threatened with eviction or fine for calling the police, share your story.