SPRINGFIELD – To better meet the needs of Illinois’ Indian American population, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate on Wednesday to create the Illinois Indian American Advisory Council.

“As the son of Indian immigrants, I am committed to doing all I can to make Illinois the most welcoming state,” Villivalam said. “This council will uplift Indian voices and ensure all of the diverse communities that contribute to our state’s success have a seat at the table.”

SPRINGFIELD – To make housing more accessible to low-income families, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation from the Illinois Senate to prevent property owners from discriminating against a prospective renter’s source of income.

“No one should be denied housing when they have the means to make the rent,” Villivalam said. “Too often, individuals on government assistance, single mothers receiving child support or seniors on fixed incomes are turned away solely based on where they receive their income each month.”

Originally published on WGEM on March 30, 2022.

QUINCY (WGEM) - A proposal in Springfield could add fair housing protections to the state’s Human Rights Act.

Illinois Senate Democrats say this could stop discrimination against people trying to get affordable housing based on their legal source of income.

This change could apply to veterans paying for housing with veterans benefits or other housing vouchers. Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) said it would also benefit single mothers paying to house their families with child support or alimony payments.

SPRINGFIELD – To make housing more accessible to low-income families, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) advanced legislation from the Senate Executive Committee to prevent property owners from discriminating against a prospective renter’s source of income.

“No one should be denied housing when they have the means to make the rent,” Villivalam said. “Too often, individuals on government assistance, single mothers receiving child support or seniors on fixed incomes are turned away solely based on where they receive their income each month.”

House Bill 2775 adds “source of income” to the Illinois Human Rights Act's protections against discrimination in real estate transactions, making it a civil rights violation to refuse to consider an individual for housing solely based on their source of income. To comply with the proposed law, housing providers will just have to treat each applicant the same during their evaluation and screening process.