Downers Grove — Art. 13A.II Fair Housing § 13A.23
Prohibited Acts Of Lending Institutions
Operative Text
It shall be unlawful for any lending institution to refuse to lend money or extend credit to any person, or to refuse to negotiate with such person with respect to any such loan or extension of credit, because of the race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, or handicap of such person. (Ord. No. 1349, §§ 4, 5.)
Downers Grove Fair Housing § 13A.23 prohibits lending institutions from refusing to lend money, extend credit, or even negotiate about a loan based on a person's race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, or disability. The rule targets discriminatory gatekeeping at the earliest stages of the lending process, including the preliminary negotiation phase. A lender's decision to engage—or not engage—with a prospective borrower cannot lawfully be driven by any of these protected characteristics.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers who work with lending institutions or facilitate financing for buyers and tenants should be aware that § 13A.23 of Downers Grove's Fair Housing ordinance places affirmative obligations on lenders to engage with all applicants regardless of protected class. Compliant lending operations maintain consistent underwriting and negotiation practices that apply the same standards to every applicant. Operators who refer clients to financing sources may want to document that those referrals are made without regard to protected characteristics.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Downers Grove Fair Housing § 13A.23, tenants and prospective borrowers have the right to be considered for loans and credit extensions without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, or disability. If a lending institution refuses to lend, extend credit, or even enter into negotiations on a discriminatory basis, that refusal may constitute a violation of this provision. Individuals who believe they have experienced such treatment can explore filing a complaint with a local fair housing authority, contacting a tenant-rights or fair-lending organization, or consulting with an attorney familiar with fair housing law.
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 8, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.