Action Alert: Tell Your Legislator to Protect Renters Hurt by Foreclosures

From Housing Action Illinois:

Take action now!

Nationally, renters make up about 40% of the families facing the loss of their housing due to foreclosure and more than one in every five foreclosed properties is a rental property.

In Chicago, 32% of 2008 residential foreclosure filings were on 2-6 unit properties (6,571 filings), marking a 36% increase from 2007.

Problem: Under current law, renters in foreclosed properties often do not know that their building is in foreclosure – frequently only learning about the foreclosure when they are told to leave the property. Likewise, renters often find themselves without any idea who owns the property, where they should be paying rent, or who to contact for repairs.

As a result, renters find themselves homeless or living in poor conditions. But a new law could maintain rental housing, prevent declining neighborhoods due to abandonment, provide tools for renters to maintain their current housing, and ensure adequate notice for renters who may need to secure new housing.

Solution: House Bill 3863, sponsored by State Representative Will Burns (D-Chicago) and others, contains the following provisions:

• Guaranteed Notice of Foreclosure to Tenants
• Improved Habitability Standards
• Clarified Eviction Procedures

If HB 3863 becomes law, it will help maintain rental housing, prevent declining neighborhoods due to abandonment, provide tools for renters to maintain their current housing, and ensure adequate notice for renters who may need to secure new housing.

Action Needed: Please contact your State Representative and ask them to vote in favor of HB 3863.

Deadline for responding: Please take action by April 1, 2009.