Champaign — Ch. 17 Human Rights § 17-21
Discrimination prohibited
Operative Text
(a) Every individual shall be afforded the opportunity to participate fully in the economic, cultural and intellectual life that is available in the City, which shall include but not be limited to opportunities in employment, housing, places of public accommodation and credit or commercial transactions. (b) It shall be unlawful to deny any of the foregoing opportunities based on unlawful discrimination, except as specifically authorized by this Chapter. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to hire, to discharge, to evict from housing or commercial space, to refuse to negotiate for, sell, exchange or lease any real property or to include terms or conditions for such property, to harass, intimidate, or in any other way retaliate or discriminate against, or interfere with any individual because he/she has made a complaint, testified or assisted in any proceeding under this chapter, whether on his or her own behalf or for another individual. (d) It shall be unlawful to retaliate against any person because that person, reasonably and in good faith, has opposed any practice or act forbidden herein, or because that person, reasonably and in good faith, has made a charge, testified, or assisted in any investigation, proceeding or hearing. (e) It shall be unlawful to compel or cause any person to engage in any of the acts prohibited by this chapter.
Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-21 establishes a broad prohibition on discrimination across employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit or commercial transactions within the city. The provision makes it unlawful to deny these opportunities based on protected characteristics, and it separately bars retaliation against anyone who files a complaint, testifies, or otherwise participates in a proceeding under Chapter 17. Coercing or inducing another person to commit any act prohibited by this chapter is also unlawful under this section.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-21, compliant property owners and managers refrain from refusing to negotiate, sell, or lease real property on discriminatory grounds, and they avoid imposing discriminatory terms or conditions in any housing transaction. Operators also take care not to harass, intimidate, or retaliate against any tenant or applicant who has filed a complaint or participated in a proceeding under Chapter 17. Landlords who direct or pressure others—such as agents or staff—to carry out prohibited acts may themselves be found in violation of this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Champaign Ch. 17 § 17-21 protects tenants not only from discriminatory denials of housing but also from retaliation if they have complained about, testified about, or assisted in any proceeding related to a Chapter 17 violation. Tenants who believe they have experienced discrimination or retaliation in connection with housing may consider filing a complaint with the Champaign Human Relations Commission, which administers Chapter 17. Tenant-rights organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area can also help individuals understand what documentation and procedural options may be available under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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