Greetings from July, and happy Disability Pride Month!
As I write this, people across the U.S. are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which expanded protections for people with disabilities beyond just federally funded programs to everyday life, including businesses, restaurants, doctors’ offices, places of employment, and more.
Yet, as you may have noticed, one very important protection is missing: housing.
At the time, many lawmakers believed fair housing laws covered this issue, citing the addition of disability as a protected class under the Fair Housing Act in 1988. But, like the passing of ADA and other anti-discrimination laws, the Fair Housing Act did not instantly eliminate all discrimination or force compliance. In fact, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) estimates discrimination based on disability accounted for more than half of the fair housing complaints filed in 2024, according to their 2024 Fair Housing Trends Report.
As advocates continue fighting for fair housing for disabled people and other protected classes 35 years later, LCBH is proud to see some of our very own in the arena, including NFHA’s Senior Vice President of Member Services, Sherrill Frost-Brown.
Sherrill began her career in housing at LCBH in the early 1990s alongside many of our founders. Sherrill, in true nonprofit fashion, wore many hats, reflecting on her roles as LCBH’s secretary, document expert, intake specialist, and, even, plant-waterer. Sherrill’s passion for housing continued to blossom throughout the next decade, as she moved on from LCBH to the Interfaith Housing Development Corporation (now known as Open Communities), and then later to NFHA. In each of these roles, Sherill fought diligently to strengthen housing protections for those most vulnerable and create a sustainable Fair Housing Movement.
For all these reasons and more, we can think of no one better than Sherrill to receive LCBH’s 2025 Sharon L. King Distinguished Alumni Award at our Fall Benefit on October 9th. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate Sherrill’s commitment to furthering fair housing in Chicago and beyond then. You can read more about Sherill’s accomplishments and purchase tickets here.
Inside our office, the fight to defend renters with disabilities continues too, with our attorneys not only offering guidance on fair housing complaints but also navigating unjust evictions and/or conditions issues. In one case, LCBH client, “Tom,” had been renting from his brother for years when he filed an eviction against him. Being both mentally and physically disabled, Tom’s options were very limited, and he knew if he was evicted, he’d become unhoused.
Looking for help, Tom turned to a trusted librarian at his local Chicago Public Library Branch who knew LCBH through previous outreach events. Former LCBH Staff Attorney and current Ambassadors Board member, Olivia Alden, took Tom’s case and filed for dismissal under the Chicago Fair Notice Ordinance. After a lengthy legal battle, Tom won his case and could remain in his unit until he found future housing. Read more about Tom’s case here.
As July draws to a close, let us celebrate the tremendous achievements of disability advocates thus far and prepare for the continued challenges ahead. If you’re interested in joining the fight to protect renters’ rights, we hope you’ll consider LCBH’s current involvement opportunities, including our Ambassadors Board. LCBH ambassadors advance our mission through events, fundraising, outreach, and/or pro bono work. They are crucial to our sustained success defending ALL Chicago renters. If you’re interested, please complete the form here.