"Crime-Free" Housing and Nuisance Ordinances

Northwestside Coalition filed this request with the Niles Police Department Illinois of Niles, IL.
Tracking #

21-127

Status
Completed

Communications

From: Northwestside Coalition


To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

Any and all records regarding "crime-free" housing and nuisance property ordinances that will be referred to as “PROGRAM” in this request but could be known (but not limited to) as “Crime Free Housing Program” or “crime free multi-housing program” and described in Niles Municipal Code of Ordinances Sec. 22-590 – 22-591.

In an article entitled “The New Housing Segregation: The Jim Crow Effects of Crime-Free Ordinances” published in the Michigan Law Review, civil rights lawyer and law professor Deborah N. Archer writes:

“Crime-free housing ordinances are one of the most salient examples of the role law plays in producing and sustaining racial segregation today. They are, in this respect, a critical mechanism for effectuating the new housing segregation.”
https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol118/iss2/2

An October 2020 statement by the Shriver Center on Poverty Law calls for the abolition of crime-free and nuisance property ordinances:

“The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others have forced a long overdue national conversation about systemic racism in the United States. We cannot talk about dismantling systems of racial oppression and in turn, police reform, without considering one of the most blunt civil instruments law enforcement and local governments have at their disposal: crime-free and nuisance property ordinances.”

This statement reintroduced a 2013 report released by the Shriver Center on Poverty Law entitled "The Cost of Being Crime Free" concluded with:

“Municipalities can and should draft ordinances much more narrowly and thoughtfully to pursue their safety goals while mitigating these critical problems. However, the only sure way for a municipality to avoid these pitfalls is to not have a crime free rental housing or nuisance property ordinance in the first place, and to instead explore other available tools to combat concerns about public safety and the quality of the rental housing stock.”
https://www.povertylaw.org/article/crime-free-and-nuisance-property-ordinances-should-be-abolished

Please provide any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, images files, video files etc.) regarding PROGRAM including but not limited to:

• any training/presentation materials used in communication, promotions, workshops, seminars, etc

• lease addenda, including sample lease addenda provided by the municipality

• criminal background checks performed on prospective tenants

• evictions filed by property owners and number of tenants evicted as a result of the PROGRAM lease addendum

• suspensions or revocation of a residential rental license, against property owners who fail to comply with the requirements of the PROGRAM lease addendum

• police calls, reports, citations, or arrests, collected by the municipality police department for the purpose of enforcing the PROGRAM

• meeting minutes and correspondence between municipality officials, regarding the implementation and enforcement of the PROGRAM

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Northwestside Coalition

From: Niles Police Department Illinois

Village of Niles

************************************************************************

Hi there

Your first Village of Niles record request (request number #21-127) has been submitted.
It is currently unpublished and is not available for the general public to view.

Thank you for filing a Freedom of Information Act Request with Village of Niles. This request will be processed accordingly. 

Village of Niles FOIA Officer 

 

Request #21-127.

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<em>Questions about your request?</em> Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at Village of Niles.<br></br><em>Technical support:</em> See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

From: Niles Police Department Illinois

Village of Niles

************************************************************************

Hi there

A message was sent to you regarding record request #21-127:

Dear Northwest Coalition:

Thank you for writing to Village of Niles with your request for information pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.

On March 7, you requested the following documents:

Any and all records regarding "crime-free" housing and nuisance property ordinances that will be referred to as “PROGRAM” in this request but could be known (but not limited to) as “Crime Free Housing Program” or “crime free multi-housing program” and described in Niles Municipal Code of Ordinances Sec. 22-590 – 22-591.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, a public body may extend the time to respond to a FOIA request by up to 5 business days for a limited number of reasons. 5 ILCS 140/3(e). We are extending the time to respond to your request by 5 business days for the following reason(s):

 

The request is couched in categorical terms and requires that we conduct an extensive search for the records responsive to it.

We cannot comply with the request for records within the 5 business day time limit without unduly burdening or interfering with our operations.

The public body asserts the following facts in support of the above reasons for an extension of time. The Village will respond to your request by March. Please acknowledge receipt of this request for extension.

Sincerely,

Margaret Keating

FOIA Officer

************************************************************************
<em>Questions about your request?</em> Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at Village of Niles.<br></br><em>Technical support:</em> See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

From: Niles Police Department Illinois

Village of Niles

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Hi there

Documents have been released to you for record request #21-127:

* CFH-IncidentContactCard_20200930171459.PDF

* CFH-InformationPkt_20200930170624.PDF

* CFH-MsintenanceCode_20200930171543 (1).PDF

* CFH-Presentation_20200930171203.PDF

* CFH-SignUp_20200930171430.PDF

* CFH-TrainingProgram_20200930170727.PDF

* Crime Free Housing Tickets.pdf

Document links are valid for one month.
After April 19, you will need to sign in to view the document(s).

************************************************************************
<em>Questions about your request?</em> Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at Village of Niles.<br></br><em>Technical support:</em> See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

From: Niles Police Department Illinois

Village of Niles

************************************************************************

Hi there

A message was sent to you regarding record request #21-127:

Dear Requester,

Please narrow down your written records and email request to a specific time period, as it is unduly burdensome to fulfill that portion of the request.

Please note, all Police Department Records have been released today 3/19/2021 per your request.

Thank you,

Margaret Keating

FOIA Officer

************************************************************************
<em>Questions about your request?</em> Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at Village of Niles.<br></br><em>Technical support:</em> See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

From: Niles Police Department Illinois

Village of Niles

************************************************************************

Hi there

Documents have been released for record request #21-127 along with the following message:

Dear Requester:  Thank you for writing to Village of Niles with your request for information pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.    On March 7, you requested the following documents: 

Any and all records regarding "crime-free" housing and nuisance property ordinances that will be referred to as “PROGRAM” in this request but could be known (but not limited to) as “Crime Free Housing Program” or “crime free multi-housing program” and described in Niles Municipal Code of Ordinances Sec. 22-590 – 22-591.

Please provide any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, images files, video files etc.) regarding PROGRAM .  Your request is granted.

We have enclosed copies of the documents that you requested.    

Sincerely,

Margaret Keating

FOIA Officer

 

* 2018-11-27 Approved Regular Board Meeting Minutes.pdf

* 2018-12-11 Approved Regular Board Meeting Minutes.pdf

* Signed Minutes 2008-06-24.pdf

* Signed Minutes 2013-11-19 Regular &amp; Informal Consideration.pdf

* Signed Minutes 2014-01-28.pdf

Document links are valid for one month.
After April 22, you will need to sign in to view the document(s).

************************************************************************
<em>Questions about your request?</em> Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at Village of Niles.<br></br><em>Technical support:</em> See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

From: Niles Police Department Illinois

Village of Niles

************************************************************************

Hi there

A document has been released for record request #21-127 along with the following message:

Dear Requester: Thank you for writing to Village of Niles with your request for information pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.   On March 7, you requested the following documents: 

Any and all records regarding "crime-free" housing and nuisance property ordinances that will be referred to as “PROGRAM” in this request but could be known (but not limited to) as “Crime Free Housing Program” or “crime free multi-housing program” and described in Niles Municipal Code of Ordinances Sec. 22-590 – 22-591.

Please provide any and all written records (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, images files, video files etc.) regarding PROGRAM .  Your request is granted.

We have enclosed copies of the documents that you requested.   

Sincerely,

Margaret Keating

FOIA Officer

 

* For release FOIA 127.pdf

Document links are valid for one month.
After May 26, you will need to sign in to view the document(s).

************************************************************************
<em>Questions about your request?</em> Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at Village of Niles.<br></br><em>Technical support:</em> See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

From: Niles Police Department Illinois

Village of Niles

************************************************************************

Hi there

Record request #21-127 has been closed. The closure reason supplied was:

All document have been released pursuant to your request.

************************************************************************
<em>Questions about your request?</em> Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at Village of Niles.<br></br><em>Technical support:</em> See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

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