A federal lawsuit claims that a suburban landlord's refusal to rent to people with arrest records equals racial discrimination.
Former tenants of the Villages on Maple in Lisle is suing the owner alleging they have a ban on renting to people who've faced felony charges even if they were never convicted - a practice that lawyers say amounts to racial discrimination.
Wheaton-based HOPE Fair Housing Center filed the suit on behalf of the tenant who is a black man and had been arrested but his case was dismissed. He was denied a new lease when his property manager found out.
HOPE's Director of Enforcement Josefina Navar, tells the Chicago Tribune that only 4% of local residents are black, while they account for 28% of arrests, giving racial context to a blanket policy prohibiting people with arrest records from renting - convicted or not.
“Housing providers can’t deny applicants based on arrest history,” Navar said. “An arrest really only shows someone has been suspected of doing something illegal.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and attorneys’ fees.