Champaign Human Relations Commission April Meeting

The City of Champaign's Human Relations Commission had a meeting earlier this month (that you can catch on CGTV's website here). Here's a basic description of what the commission is and when it meets from their webpage on the City's website:

The Human Relations Commission is responsible for the promotion of equal rights and opportunities in the City.  It is responsible for the enforcement of the City’s Human Rights Ordinance and serves as the hearing board for complaints of violation of the Ordinance that cannot be conciliated by staff.  The Commission also advises the City Council on human rights and equal opportunity issues.

The Commission consists of nine members that are appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Council.  Each member serves a three-year term...

Meetings are held on the 1st Monday of each month at 5:30 pm in City Council Chambers, 102 N. Neil St., Champaign.

Directions and basic information on attending a meeting, in person or via the web in this previous post: Attend a Meeting - Champaign HRC.

The April 1st meeting focused primarily on outreach efforts to let the community know about the commission and its work. At the recent disABILITY Resource Expo they received a lot of feedback from people unaware of the commission and how it might be able to help them (e.g. if a non-resident experiences discrimination in Champaign). The commissioners brainstormed outreach ideas with social media, local website, and attending more public events. Rachel Joy Community Relations Manager and Compliance Officer with the City Staff pointed out various ways the City helps facilitate outreach and how they can help even more.

Charles Young used the public participation time to point out that the News-Gazette is happy to work with local government officials to highlight events and other information.

Earlier in the meeting, commissioner Robin McClain highlighted the landlord meeting with City Council members and others about the reentry housing issue in Champaign. More on that meeting here. Excerpt:

The issue has been raised throughout the community and local government in relation to criminal justice reform. They often highlight the role housing access has in recidivism as well as housing being a basic human need and one of the biggest obstacles for people reentering communities from the criminal justice system. Recently it was mentioned in the City of Champaign's Human Relations Commission during the Champaign County NAACP's report on criminal justice reform. It could also be a hurdle for the Champaign County Housing Authority's efforts in reforming reentry housing in the area, mentioned in January's Champaign County Reentry Council meeting that works with government agencies and organizations in criminal justice and reentry issues.

The rock and the hard place of this debate is the basic human need for shelter and the community's desire for safety. It's complicated by our community's continued problems with segregation, racial disparities in mass incarceration at every step of the criminal justice system (including local public school discipline), and the history of housing discrimination throughout Illinois.

You can hear various arguments for and against going back to the original language of the Human Rights Ordinance at the previous Champaign City Council study session on the issue here (video link here). The landlords generally argued safety of residents and being able to ask questions of renters for their own liabilities. The folks on the other side arguing for basic human rights issue and pointing to the previous language which mirrors Urbana's current rules.

More at the full Cheat Sheet post here. Commissioner Elmore expressed his frustrations on the reentry housing issue at the 18 minute mark of the March Human Relations Commission meeting here.