On May 17, 2023 Community Relations Manager for the Equity and Engagement Department, Janel Gomez, attended the HOPE Fair Housing Conference where Jim Bennett, director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights, was the keynote speaker. Conference sessions focused on educating the public about source of income protections, identifying bias in real estate appraisals, and identifying discrimination in housing against persons with disabilities. There was also discussion about the recently passed Illinois legislation SB 1817 that amends the Illinois Human Rights Ordinance to protect immigration status in relation to housing and real estate transactions.