On July, 7th 1967, Wheaton, IL became one of the first cities in DuPage County to pass a local fair-housing ordinance. The HOPE Fair Housing Center was established the following year upon the discovery of a family in need living inside a garage. Community members came together to buy and renovate a home for them. HOPE would go on to develop an innovative housing plan which was publicized in the national media. Through private contributions, HOPE began buying and renovating houses. These properties were then made available to families at affordable rents.
On April 11th, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson requested the presentation and passing of the Fair Housing Act. This was to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who had been assassinated a week prior, and to calm associated civil unrest. After this act’s enforcement on January 1, 1969, the adoption of local fair housing ordinances soon followed in alliance.
In Elmhurst, Illinois, Mayor Charles Weigel led proposing such an ordinance to the city. Alderman Donald Ames (3rd Ward) and Alderman Marvin J. Voelz (4th Ward) drafted their version by using research from other cities, including Wheaton, IL. The first proposed version of the ordinance was voted on January 5, 1970. It resulted in a 7-7 aldermanic vote split to pass it into law. Town residents were similarly split on the issue. Mayor Weigel held the deciding vote and with his ‘yea’, the final vote was 8-7 and it passed. Yet, this did not satisfy Weigel. He felt the ordinance could be re-worked to find positive compromises and get a more decisive vote on the final law. With adjustments to the two sections, the final ordinance was finally passed on February 5, 1970.
HOPE Fair Housing Center’s mission became challenging the policies and practices of a system that worked to the disadvantage of people protected by the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968. In 1970, HOPE became a full-service fair housing organization with professional staff. Bernard Kleina was HOPE’s first Executive Director and served in this position from 1970-2011. Today, the organization serves 30 counties in Northern and North Central Illinois to create greater housing opportunities for all.