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Holiday Hours: We will be CLOSED Dec 23 - Jan 1, and working remotely January 2 & 3. Contact us.

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Fair Housing
Housing Counseling
Housing Education
for Chicago's North Shore

About

ABOUT

Open Communities makes our area more welcoming for all by investigating discrimination and enforcing fair housing practices, preventing eviction and foreclosure through free housing counseling, and fighting housing discrimination through education and advocacy. Our goal is to advance the economic empowerment of those most marginalized while holding communities and institutions accountable for discriminatory policies.

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MISSION

Open Communities works to eradicate housing discrimination and unjust practices that perpetuate segregation and inequity. We foster thriving, inclusive communities through fair housing enforcement, housing counseling, education, outreach, and advocacy.

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PROTECTED CLASSES

Programs

FEDERAL - Race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability

ILLINOIS - Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Ancestry, Age, Marital Status, Military/Veteran Status, Dishonrable Discharge, Order of Protection

COOK COUNTY - Source of Income, Housing Status, Criminal History

Housing discrimination is illegal under many different laws, including federal, state and local laws. If a person falls into one of the protected classes, certain housing related actions taken against them may be considered discrimination.

PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Our fair housing and Certified HUD Housing Counseling programs are provided free of charge in Chicago's northern suburbs.

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HOUSING COUNSELING & EDUCATION

Our Housing Counseling department works to help families stay in their homes, stabilize housing, and educate the community about housing rights and services. We do this through Housing Mediation, Consultations, Foreclosure and Default Counseling, Rental Counseling, Financial Coaching, Older Person Counseling, AND Pre-Purchase and Post Purchase Counseling.

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FAIR HOUSING TESTING & ENFORCEMENT

Open Communities can investigate the allegations of discrimination through fair housing testing. And as a private enforcer of the fair housing laws, we can choose how to enforce fair housing laws when it does uncover evidence of discrimination.

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Volunteer

GIVE

We cannot do this work without you. Please join us by supporting our efforts to provide resources and information to empower clients to move from participants to advocates to fight unlawful housing discrimination and stay in their homes.

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