Progress Illinois

In April, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law giving struggling homeowners an extra 90 days before lenders can force them out of their homes. At the signing ceremony, he emphasized to the assembled group of housing advocates that this was just the first step that the state government would take to assist people trying to keep a roof over their heads. “This is really a continuing struggle,” House Speaker Michael Madigan added. “A continuing battle against people who don’t care about neighborhoods."

More protections are certainly needed. According to estimates by the Center for Responsible Lending, one million foreclosures have already been filed across the nation this year. That includes 43,295 in Illinois, many concentrated in communities that were not initially affected by the subprime mortgage fiasco.

Thankfully, the legislature did not ignore the issue before their spring session ended Sunday.

As we noted a few weeks ago, two pertinent bills cleared both chambers and will likely be signed into law once Quinn reviews them. The first, authored by Rep. Will Burns (D-Chicago), creates a "Bill of Rights" for renters whose buildings are foreclosed upon. Effective immediately, HB 3863 mandates that whomever controls a foreclosed building must maintain an environment that's "safe, healthful, and fit for occupancy," and renters must be given written notice establishing their right to remain on the premises if their landlord loses the property. HB 2653, the other new law introduced by Rep. Esther Golar (D-Chicago), amends the Homelessness Prevention Act so that eligible homeowners facing foreclosure can apply for state funds to cover their existing mortgage payments.

And while the House and Senate versions must still be reconciled, HB 1195 -- a bill that enables municipalities to alleviate the negative side effects of this abandonment -- cleared both chambers over the weekend. Having originally passed the House in March, housing advocates revamped the provisions in the form of a Senate amendment filed by Sen. Jackie Collins last Wednesday. Once legislators reconvene and hopefully hash out the discrepancies, municipalities will receive a prompt notice from the county when taxes on a delinquent property are sold or a foreclosure action is initiated and will be granted to power to create a land bank to manage vacant homes. Most importantly, HB 1195 will provide financial protections for communities who choose to clean up and stabilize their neighborhoods.

There were a lot of failures down in Springfield this weekend. But these are positive steps.