Reentry Housing Updates

At the Tuesday night study session of the Champaign City Council the compromise language moved forward on the reentry housing issue. Full video of the study session is available from CGTV here and the agenda (with links to the study session reports) available here. This is following up on a previous Cheat Sheet post previewing the meeting with links and background on the reentry housing issue. From the News-Gazette coverage after the meeting:

The Champaign City Council is moving forward with changes to a city ordinance that allows landlords not to rent to most people with felony convictions.

The council voted 8-0 in favor of reducing the amount of time landlords can hold felonies against potential tenants from five years to two.

A final vote will come later.

The proposed ordinance would also make it clear that the two-year rule refers to convictions in which someone is sentenced to prison, not probation, and lists the types of felonies that can be considered, such as murder, robbery and arson.

Full article here with additional information, including on the second study session topic on reentry group housing regulation. WCCU had additional coverage and a video segment here. (also a brief initial blurb/video story the night of the meeting here). The presentation and discussion on the group housing regulation involved technical zoning issues and language, though the board seemed generally supportive of finding a solution to allow reentry group housing overall.

Coincidentally, as this post deals with changes to Champaign Human Rights Ordinance, the city is celebrating Human Rights Day today. WCIA coverage on that here.