103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2005
 
Introduced 2/9/2023, by Sen. Craig Wilcox
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:



310 ILCS 10/34 new

 Amends the Housing Authorities Act. Requires housing authorities to develop and implement policies granting housing preferences to veterans who are homeless. Provides that such preferences shall be cumulative with any other preference allowed by a housing authority for which the veteran qualifies. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be construed to supersede any federal law or regulation.



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A BILL FOR
 


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1 AN ACT concerning housing.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The Housing Authorities Act is amended by 
5adding Section 34 as follows:

6 (310 ILCS 10/34 new)
7 Sec. 34. Housing preference for veterans. 
8 (a) As used in this Section:
9 "Homeless individual" means an individual:
10  (1) who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime 
11 residence;
12  (2) with a primary nighttime residence that is a 
13 public or private place not designed for or ordinarily 
14 used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, 
15 including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train 
16 station, airport, or campground;
17  (3) in a supervised publicly or privately operated 
18 shelter designated to provide temporary living 
19 arrangements, including, but not limited to, hotels and 
20 motels paid for by a government program for low-income 
21 individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate 
22 shelters, and transitional housing;
23  (4) who resides in a shelter or place not meant for 
 
 
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1 human habitation and who is exiting an institution where 
2 he or she temporarily resided; and
3  (5) who:
4   (A) will imminently lose his or her housing, 
5 including housing he or she owns, rents, lives in 
6 without paying rent, or is sharing with others, and 
7 rooms in hotels or motels not paid for by a 
8 governmental program for low-income individuals or by 
9 charitable organizations, as evidenced by:
10    (i) a court order resulting from an eviction 
11 action that notifies the individual that he or she 
12 must leave within 14 days;
13    (ii) such individual having a primary 
14 nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or 
15 motel and where he or she lacks the resources 
16 necessary to reside there for more than 14 days;
17    (iii) credible indications that the owner or 
18 renter of such housing will not allow such 
19 individual to stay for more than 14 days; or
20    (iv) any oral statement from an individual 
21 seeking homeless assistance that is found to be 
22 credible;
23  (B) has no subsequent residence identified; and
24  (C) lacks the resources or support networks needed to 
25 obtain other permanent housing.
26 "Veteran" means an individual who has served as a member 
 
 
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1of the armed forces of the United States or the Illinois 
2National Guard.
3 (b) Any housing authority created in accordance with this 
4Act shall develop and implement policies granting housing 
5preferences to veterans who are homeless. Such preferences 
6shall be cumulative with any other preference allowed by such 
7housing authority for which the veteran qualifies. Nothing in 
8this Section shall be construed to supersede any federal law 
9or regulation.