The Illinois General Assembly recently passed House Bill 5450, amending the Rental Housing Support Program Act, which governs the Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP). The new law removes a provision within the Act requiring the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to adopt a rule restricting local administering agencies and developers from using RHSP funding to develop or support housing that requires that a tenant has a particular diagnosis, type, or presence of disability as a condition of eligibility for occupancy. Regulations now state that administering agencies and developers may use grant funding to develop integrated housing opportunities for persons with disabilities, but not housing restricted to a specific disability type. HB 5450 was originally sponsored by Representative Esther Golar (D-Chicago) and Senator William Delgado (D-Chicago) and was signed by Governor Patrick Quinn on August 3, 2012. The new law takes effect immediately.

Click here to read HB 5450.