SPRINGFIELD – To combat housing insecurity and uphold human rights, State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure that would place restrictions on municipal and county crime-free and nuisance property ordinances (CFNOs).

“Ensuring that our communities are safe is a top priority, but misguided crime-free housing and nuisance property ordinances can do more harm than good in our communities,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Individuals should not fear eviction as a result of contacting police. This is counterintuitive and puts the lives of vulnerable and working-class families at risk.”

CFNOs often require landlords to deny housing, evict, fine or penalize tenants for general connection to criminal activity. The breadth of these ordinances leads to unfair penalties and evictions, which disproportionately affect vulnerable groups who are more likely to contact law enforcement agencies.

Senate Bill 2264 would prohibit municipalities and counties from adopting a CFNO that imposes or threatens a penalty against a landlord or a tenant due to calling 911, criminal activity perpetrated by someone other than the tenant or a tenant’s arrest record that is already in violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

The measure would also prohibit ordinances from requiring a landlord to evict a tenant or impose a penalty on a landlord for failure to evict a tenant based on the restrictions outlined above or a tenant's association with another tenant, guest or person who has a criminal record. If an ordinance does result in an eviction, it can only be filed against the person convicted of a crime, not the entire household.

In August 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a letter to state and local governments about CFNOs and cautioned that they may be unlawful when they unfairly penalize communities of color, individuals with disabilities or survivors of domestic violence. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, at least 100 jurisdictions in Illinois have CFNOs in place.

“We should encourage people in crisis to seek help, not threaten them with eviction,” said Villa. “Housing instability is detrimental for families already struggling with the cost of living. This further destabilizes communities which leads to more crime.”

Senate Bill 2264 passed the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday.

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