The U.S. Department of Housing (HUD) and the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) have taken steps to ensure that LGBT persons have equal access to housing, according to a letter from IDHR Director Rocco Claps.
HUD is now using its authority under the federal Fair Housing Act's ban of sex discrimination to pursue complaints of housing discrimination regarding gender identity, and that the HUD and IDHR have taken steps to ensure that LGBT persons have equal access to housing.
In 2011, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality publicized the results of a survey of 6,450 transgender individuals. The result revealed that 19 percent of respondents reported being refused a home or apartment because of gender identity and 11 percent reported eviction because of gender identity.
In February, HUD also leveraged its rule-making authority by publishing "Equal Access to Housing," a regulation that prohibits HUD-funded and HUD-insured housing providers as well as FHA-approved lenders from discriminating on the bases of actual or perceived gender identity, sexual orientation or marital status. HUD has already received complaints that this rule has been violated, and is pursuing enforcement actions against alleged violators.
Because Illinois has its own fair housing law that is very similar to federal law, HUD and IDHR can work closely on this matter.
The Civil Rights Agenda Political and Policy Advisor Rick Garcia spoke of transgender people in a statement: "We applaud the Obama Administration, Governor Quinn's Administration and Director Claps for their efforts in ending discrimination against transgender individuals.
"In Illinois, the steps HUD and IDHR are taking will significantly help transgender individuals because they will now be able to file charges jointly with the State and Federal authorities. Having the federal government weigh-in on these issues of discrimination will bring greater credence to those cases and help these individuals as they seek relief in the form of punitive damages."