A state bill that would eliminate discriminatory zoning restrictions and protect disability-related community living arrangements is up for consideration in the Illinois Senate.

Although the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act provide protection for people with disabilities to live independently, zoning laws in some municipalities prevent them from enjoying the rights guaranteed in these federal ordinances.

If passed, House Bill 1843, which passed the Illinois House 77-35 last year and is now being considered in the state Senate, would eliminate local family based zoning restrictions and protect shared housing arrangements, including disability-related community living settings.

Headquartered at 8350 Laramie Ave. in Skokie, Shore Community Services provides 24-hour support to individuals with specialized needs in group homes.

These facilities, known as Community Integrated Living Arrangements, support people 18 years and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and enable them to live away from their families.

The bill would expand available housing and opportunities to exercise independence for CILA residents and adults with disabilities.

Tulea Gonnigan, director of residential services at Shore oversees the program’s community-based homes. Her focus mirrors the larger mission of CILAs, which includes ensuring residents receive personalized care while promoting independence and community integration.

“It’s our jobs,” Gonnigan said. “Whether we’re related to them or just as members of society to make sure that whatever services, whatever home environment, it gives them that sense of sensibility.”

Shore began its CILA program in 1994. It now has three homes in the greater Chicago area: An Evanston location that houses three men and two Skokie locations that house six men in one house and seven women in another. The Illinois Department of Human Services lists hundreds of CILAs across the state, including eight in the Evanston and Skokie area.

In Evanston, residential care homes, like CILAs, are distinguished into two groups. Category 1 residential care homes refer to those with four to eight residents. Category 2 residential care homes refer to those with nine to 15 residents.

Category 1 homes are permitted with a license and cannot reside within 900 feet of one another. Category 2 homes may be permitted with special use and follow this same spacing regulation. Such provisions prohibiting the distance between residential care homes runs counter to rights guaranteed by the Fair Housing Act. The proposed bill would call into question the validity of the 900-foot rule given its contradiction to the Fair Housing Act.

Gonnigan said the care each resident receives depends on their specific needs. Beyond that, Shore focuses on community integration through weekend outings and, in some cases, employment opportunities, she added.

“We try to base everything on an independent level to give them the opportunity to say what they would and would not be interested in doing, versus us telling them what they want to do,” Gonnigan said.

The bill would provide these individuals more access to live “an authentic and productive life,” Gonnigan said.

State Rep. Suzanne Ness (D-Crystal Lake), the primary sponsor of the bill in the House, introduced the bill in January 2025, after being approached by advocates regarding issues opening and operating CILAs in Illinois.

“It was just really clear to me that this was an unnecessary burden on agencies that are trying to help vulnerable people,” she said.

Ness said she hopes her bill would lead to the creation of more CILAs, where individuals could live more independently and with a higher quality of life. 

This issue is especially pressing given the state’s limited supply of housing and large waitlist for supportive housing, she said. 

“This particular population, they are kind of pushed at the bottom of that list,” Ness said.

Ness received complaints from several municipalities that CILAs would affect the “configuration” of their neighborhoods. 

In her year with Shore, Gonnigan said she has only seen welcoming attitudes from neighbors, but she believes opposition to CILAs in other areas may stem from people’s unwillingness to “deal” with those with disabilities.

Ari Goldstein, an educational psychologist, said individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities often struggle with other psychological issues, including decreased self-esteem.

“There’s almost always a host of secondary mental health issues that crop up simply because these people can’t meet the expectations that are placed upon them,” he said.

CILAs, he said, allow individuals with disabilities to learn new skills, boosting their autonomy and self-confidence. 

If passed, the bill would override existing zoning provisions that contradict federal law. The bill was originally slated to take effect in January 2027, but the deadline may need to be extended to give municipalities time to update their language, Ness said.

“People deserve the right to live in their communities,” Ness said. “They’re our families, and our neighbors and our friends, and they deserve the right to live in a community setting.”

Email: [email protected]

Related Stories:

— Center for Independent Futures gives agency to Evanston adults with disabilities

— How the Evanston ADA Advisory Committee supports people with disabilities

— Perceptions of Flow: ‘Movement’ at the Evanston Art Center highlights artists with disabilities