Park Forest — Ch. 54 Human Relations § 54-177
Limitations
Operative Text
(a) This article shall not apply to the rental, leasing or other arrangements for the use of any room in any owner-occupied, single-family dwelling. (b) Nothing in this article shall bar any religious or denominational institution or organization or any charitable or educational organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization from limiting living accommodations or giving preference with respect thereto to persons of the same religion or denomination. (c) Nothing in this article shall require an owner or others to offer for sale or lease real property to the public at large where any applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances provide otherwise. (d) Nothing in this article shall: (1) Prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, from limiting the rental or occupancy of such lodgings to its members and their guests or from giving preference to its members; (2) Prohibit the rental or sale of a dwelling on the basis of age or disability when such dwelling is authorized, approved, financed or subsidized in whole or in part by a unit of state, local or federal government; (3) Limit the applicability of any reasonable local, state or federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling; (4) Require the rental or sale of a unit to any person convicted of the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance; (5) With regard to discrimination based on familial status, apply with respect to housing for older persons as defined in section 54-116 ; (6) Prohibit financial institutions from considering sound underwriting practices in contemplation of any loan to any person; (7) Prohibit a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property from taking into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, familial status, national origin, creed, marital status, unfavorable military discharge, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, or source of income, parental status, gender identity or housing status; or (8) Prohibit affirmative marketing activities.
Park Forest's human relations anti-discrimination article (Ch. 54 § 54-177) carves out several categories of housing arrangements that are not covered by its general fair-housing protections. Owner-occupied single-family homes rented room by room, religious or denominational organizations giving preference to members of their faith, private non-commercial clubs limiting lodging to their own members, and government-authorized senior housing are among the situations explicitly excluded from the article's reach. The provision also clarifies that sound lending underwriting practices, lawful occupancy-limit rules, and affirmative marketing activities remain permissible under the article.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under Park Forest Ch. 54 § 54-177 should be aware that certain housing arrangements fall outside the article's anti-discrimination requirements, but those exemptions are narrowly defined. For example, an owner who lives in a single-family home and rents out a room, or a religious organization that limits occupancy to members of its faith, may qualify for an exemption — but operators generally document the factual basis for any claimed exemption carefully. Landlords whose properties are government-authorized senior housing, or who are subject to federal or state occupancy-limit rules, should confirm that their practices align with the specific conditions those exemptions require under § 54-177.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Park Forest Ch. 54 § 54-177 defines the boundaries of the article's fair-housing protections, so tenants who believe they have experienced discrimination should first consider whether their housing situation falls within one of the listed exemptions. If a claimed exemption seems inapplicable or is being used improperly, tenants may have grounds to raise a violation under the broader Ch. 54 Human Relations article. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Park Forest's ordinance can help individuals understand whether an exemption legitimately applies to their circumstances and what complaint or enforcement paths may be available.
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 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation