Felon Friendly Housing in Illinois

As a felon looking for housing in Illinois, you might not know where to start. These resources will help you find a place to live.

Types Of Housing For Felons in Illinois 2024

These are the types of housing available to felons after release:

• Transitional Housing
• Emergency & Transitional Shelters
• Public and Subsidized Housing
• Private Housing

#1. Transitional Housing

The structured environment provided by transitional housing programs gives felons a secure place to live upon leaving prison or jail.

Because demand for transitional housing programs is high, places with vacancies can be hard to find.

Depending on the program, residents live in transitional housing short-term (3 months) or longer-term (often up to 2 years).

The Illinois Parole Division has a team dedicated to providing reentry housing support. Ask your parole officer for more information about the transitional housing programs in your area.

Some transitional housing providers are listed on the Illinois Reentry Resources website.

Find the list at: https://guide.reentryillinois.net/en/?what=Housing.

#2. IDHS Emergency & Transitional Housing Program

Felons can benefit from the housing program run by the Illinois Department of Human Services. The IDHS shelter program helps homeless people and people at risk of becoming homeless.

If you don’t have anywhere to live, the emergency shelter will provide a safe place to sleep and shower. Shelters also offer laundry facilities, food, clothing, support services, help to find long-term housing, and referrals to second chance programs for felons in Illinois.

IDHS emergency shelters cater to overnight stays. Guests usually need to register for a bed each day with beds being allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

IDHS transitional shelters offer longer-term housing and support services for up to 2 years.

Find IDHS housing providers at: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=98150.

For other shelter programs in Illinois:

Call the United Way: Find shelters with vacancies in your local area by calling the United Way helpline at 2-1-1. The call is free and the helpline is open 24/7.

Search for emergency shelters by city: https://www.shelterlistings.org/state/illinois.html

Get help in Chicago: Ex-offenders in Chicago can call 3-1-1 for housing help and to request a ride to the nearest shelter with available beds.

The Chicago Coordinated Entry System

Felons experiencing homelessness in Chicago are eligible for a housing needs assessment through the Chicago Coordinated Entry System.

These assessments aim to connect those needing help with housing to appropriate housing opportunities and resources.

More information: https://allchicago.org/coordinated-entry-system/

Rapid Rehousing Program in Chicago

This program is open to anyone experiencing homelessness regardless of criminal background. Rapid Rehousing provides rent and utility assistance.

Case management services focused on employment, access to benefits, and managing finances are also available.

Get help: Call 3-1-1 for more information about the Rapid Rehousing Program.

#3. Public And Subsidized Housing Programs Accept Felons

Thanks to the 2021 Public Housing Access Bill, felons in Illinois face less discrimination when they apply for public housing and subsidized housing programs.

Public housing is owned by the government and rented to tenants who meet the income eligibility guidelines.

Subsidized housing (Housing Choice Voucher Program) is a rent assistance program that helps cover the rent for low-income households in the private rental market. Tenants typically pay 30% of their income towards rent with the housing voucher covering the rest.

Both programs are administered by local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and waiting lists are common.

Limited background check: The Public Housing Access Bill only allows PHAs to look at your criminal record going back 6 months from the date of your application.

If were convicted of a violent crime or a drug offense in those 6 months, you will have the opportunity to explain your case, but your application may be turned down.

Find your PHA: https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PIH/documents/PHA_Contact_Report_IL.pdf

Housing For Sex Offenders In Illinois

Sex offenders face significant housing barriers. To get help with housing contact Pushing Envelopes Chicago. Although this charity is primarily focused on offenders in the Chicago area, it helps offenders throughout Illinois.

Learn more at: https://www.pushingenvelopeschicago.org/our-work/re-entry-support

#4. How To Find Private Housing With A Felony In Illinois

Ex-offenders overwhelmingly find that private landlords are more willing to rent to felons than the managers of large apartment communities.

While some private landlords carry out background checks, many others are only concerned with your ability to pay the rent.

Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are two reliable places to find felon-friendly landlords in Illinois (you’ll need to be logged into Facebook to use Marketplace).

• Craigslist Illinois: https://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/il
• FB Marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/category/propertyrentals/

Contact every landlord with a rental in your price range. Copy/paste the same message to save time.

In your message ask for details about the application process and tenant qualification criteria. When a landlord mentions a background check, it’s best to disclose your felony before you pay the background check fee.

Felon-Friendly Private Housing in Cook County Illinois

Cook County covers Chicago, Elgin, Cicero, Arlington Heights, Evanston, Schaumburg, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plains, and Orland Park.

The Just Housing Amendment enacted in 2019, gives felons in Cook County some protection from unfair housing discrimination.

• Landlords cannot deny ex-offenders housing based on a conviction over 3 years old
• For more recent convictions, landlords must carry out an individualized assessment. To deny housing because of a conviction the denial must be necessary to protect against a demonstrable risk to safety or property.

Conclusion

Speak to your parole officer about transitional housing and other second chance programs for felons in Illinois.

If you’re not on parole, get help through one of the shelter programs.

Apply for public housing (keep in mind the 6-month look-back period).

In Chicago, get a housing needs assessment or apply directly for the Rapid Rehousing Program (call 3-1-1).

If you’re ready to rent your own place, focus your housing search on private landlords.

Don’t give up. Thousand of felons find housing in Illinois every year. You will too.

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