HOUSING
Illinois has been hit hard by recent mortgage foreclosures, with the ninth-highest rate in the country in 2010. While communities across the state are suffering, Latinos—who accounted for half of the overall increase in owner-occupied homes in the region over the last decade —have been affected disproportionately. Foreclosure filings were still on the rise at the end of 2010 in these communities, up 17 percent in the city and 29 percent in the suburbs over the end of 2009.
While foreclosure devastates Latino communities across the region, Chicago’s suburbs face unique challenges: These communities are seeing unprecedented growth of Latino residents, but often lack the social infrastructure to support them. Violations of Fair Housing Law abound in suburban communities, with Latinos complaining about selective enforcement of municipal codes; landlords steering applicants to housing options in select neighborhoods based on race, income, or family size; and municipalities discouraging the development of affordable rental housing for minority, low-income or immigrant communities. Too often, Latino immigrants either don’t know about their rights under the law, or are hesitant to complain because of fear of retaliation from immigration authorities.
What the Latino Policy Forum is doing to ensure that all Latinos, including low- and mid-income families, have access to quality, affordable housing:
• Working with the leadership of the Housing Acuerdo work group to create a policy agenda that will ensure Latino families have access to quality, affordable housing and other housing resources.
• Bringing attention to the devastating effects of the mortgage foreclosure crisis in the Latino communities through analysis and fact sheets.
• Educating consumers and service providers on Fair Housing Laws through events and workshops, particularly those held regularly at Chicago’s Mexican Consulate and in communities with high concentrations of Latino households.
• Developing curricula to provide practical education to help people looking for housing acquire and keep quality, affordable housing.
