Illinois Cities Evict Residential Tenants for Calling 911

An unpaid ticket, a call to 911 or a friend’s bad decision can trigger eviction in some Illinois towns.

Dozens of cities across Illinois implement so-called “crime-free housing” laws to evict renters over minor offenses. In some cases, evicted renters were never charged with crimes or convicted.

Introduced as a tool to remove violent offenders and drug dealers from rental communities, the laws have instead been used more broadly to oust families over low-level misdemeanors, non-criminal citations and, at times, calls for help, the New York Times and Illinois Answers Project reported.

In at least five cases, residents were flagged for eviction after calling 911 to report a crime or request emergency assistance, including victims of domestic violence and those with mental health emergencies.

In nearly 500 cases, city officials ordered landlords to evict tenants out of at least 2,000 enforcement incidents from 2019 to 2024 across 25 Illinois towns. In many others, outcomes were unclear due to poor municipal tracking. In most cities, no conviction was required to initiate removal. About a third of the 2,000 violation letters cited serious crimes, while the rest fell short, it was reported.

Under these ordinances, tenants can be evicted for accusations alone, even if charges are dropped or never filed. Families have lost housing after a child or visitor was arrested, or for infractions that occurred miles from their rental, such as traffic violations.

One case involved a woman evicted after her intellectually disabled son made too many 911 calls. Another woman was forced from her home when a friend of her son, arrested elsewhere, falsely gave her address to police.

Landlords said they often felt forced to evict otherwise stable tenants or risk fines and license revocation. In one case, a landlord who called the police over her tenant keeping dogs caged in the garage said she was forced to evict them or face a $750 fine each day until an eviction was made.

Many tenants received violation notices without being told why, and most cities don’t offer renters a chance to appeal or require them to represent themselves in rapid hearings before city officials, often the same ones who ordered their eviction.

The Illinois Senate is considering a bill that would curtail the laws’ use, requiring a conviction before eviction proceedings can begin and adding protections for renters.

Housing advocates say it’s a necessary step to restore due process and protect families from displacement based on unproven claims. One in four Illinois residents lives in a city that enforces a version of these laws.

— Judah Duke