Bill Text: IL HB1767 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Repeals the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-17 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB1767 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HB1767-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning urban problems.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Findings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | (1) The General Assembly finds that in the 20th Century | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | African-American communities in Illinois were substantially | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | economically disadvantaged due to the policy of "redlining", | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | whereby mortgage opportunities were denied to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | African-Americans or provided at greater than average interest | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | rates. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | (2)
The General Assembly finds that through these | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | policies, the African-American population of Illinois became | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | concentrated in certain neighborhoods in Illinois cities. Due | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | to the lack of access to capital, many of the renters in these | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | neighborhoods were at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords, who | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | failed to provide the proper maintenance and improvements to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | their properties. African-American homeowners in these | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | neighborhoods often lacked the funds for proper upkeep. As a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | result, these neighborhoods began to become rundown and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | dilapidated. Soon thereafter these neighborhoods were deemed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | "blighted". Policymakers began to look for solutions to the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | problem of "blighted areas". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | (3) The Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947 was | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | enacted in an attempt to address the blighted areas problem. |
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1 | However, the General Assembly finds that the ultimate effect | ||||||
2 | of this Act was to codify discriminatory housing practices by | ||||||
3 | declaring large swaths of African-American neighborhoods | ||||||
4 | blighted areas. This resulted in these areas being condemned | ||||||
5 | and demolished and the residents being forced to move without | ||||||
6 | affordable housing readily available. The ultimate result was | ||||||
7 | that the condemned areas were not redeveloped with affordable | ||||||
8 | housing, but rather converted to mixed industrial or highway | ||||||
9 | use, effectively serving as a "moat" between African-American | ||||||
10 | neighborhoods and the rest of the city. | ||||||
11 | (4) The General Assembly finds that the stain of the | ||||||
12 | discriminatory effects of the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act | ||||||
13 | of 1947 cannot be erased. However, the effects can be | ||||||
14 | recognized and with the repeal of the Act, the path toward | ||||||
15 | healing can begin.
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16 | (315 ILCS 5/Act rep.)
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17 | Section 5. The Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947 is | ||||||
18 | repealed.
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19 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
20 | becoming law.
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