South Suburban Housing Center

Service and Services:

South Suburban Housing Center (SSHC) is a private, non-profit, regional fair housing and housing counseling agency serving over 100 communities in southern Cook, northeastern Will, Kankakee counties of Illinois and Northwest Indiana.

Mission:

South Suburban Housing Center is dedicated to the promotion of a unitary housing market that: eliminates discrimination based on race or other protected group status; and fosters stable, long-term diverse communities.

To achieve this purpose, SSHC operates a host of Fair Housing Enforcement, Housing Counseling and Education and Outreach programs throughout the communities in its primary south Chicago metropolitan service area, as well as other underserved areas throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana that seek our assistance.

Fair Housing Testing:

What: Volunteers contact housing providers and write a narrative of their experience.

How: Due to the pandemic, testing is currently only virtual.

When: M-F 9am-5pm

Where:NW Indiana and South Suburbs of Chicago

South Suburban Housing Center (SSHC) conducts fair housing testing throughout the year, which requires volunteer (tester) participation.

As a tester, you play the role of a home seeker to observe and document the ordinary business practices of housing providers, lenders, insurance companies, and others. As a tester, you may be asked to pose as a person who is interested in renting an apartment, buying a home, applying for financing to purchase housing, inquiring about property insurance for a home, or using other types of housing services. Testers must be at least 18 years old, objective, careful observers, accurate reporters, as well as truthful and credible witnesses. Testers are paid a small stipend per test.

Get involved:

Interested testers will receive free virtual training. Our testing program is currently operating virtually due to the pandemic to ensure tester safety.

If you are interested in fighting discrimination as a fair housing tester or if you have friends or family members who you think would like to become fair housing testers, please contact SSHC's Testing Coordinator, Emily Newsom, by emailing [email protected]