removed
Read more about the article University Tenant Union Housing Portal taken down for violating ad policies, but decision eliminates student complaints against landlordsHousing Explorer web page
The Housing Explorer was among one of the cuts to student and community resources made by the University of Illinois's Off-Campus Community Living Office.

University Tenant Union Housing Portal taken down for violating ad policies, but decision eliminates student complaints against landlords

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign quietly removed an online portal last year that, compiled a database of student complaints against area landlords and landlord responses to those complaints. A university official said this month that the site was taken down because it violated campus website advertising rules and that it was too much work to maintain the complaints section. The University of Illinois Off-Campus Community Living suggests that students use sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, the U of I Reddit Page, or the Better Business Bureau to draw their own conclusions about leasing companies on campus. 

Continue ReadingUniversity Tenant Union Housing Portal taken down for violating ad policies, but decision eliminates student complaints against landlords
Read more about the article Champaign County’s removal of property tax search by name sought by officials seeking privacy, but decision confounds other assessorsDarrell Hoemann
Brookens Admin Center in Urbana, IL 61801 on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. Photo by Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess

Champaign County’s removal of property tax search by name sought by officials seeking privacy, but decision confounds other assessors

Champaign County eliminated the ability for a person to search property tax records by an owner’s first and last name in 2018's new tax system, despite almost every other county in Illinois still allowing it and seeing improved service quality as a result.  However, the property records, including names, can be obtained through a Freedom of Information Act and put into a searchable database. In other words, not allowing one to search by name in the software simply makes finding a property owner’s name more difficult, rather than preventing it altogether.

Continue ReadingChampaign County’s removal of property tax search by name sought by officials seeking privacy, but decision confounds other assessors
Read more about the article University makes cuts to student services at off-campus community living officeHousing Explorer web page
The Housing Explorer was among one of the cuts to student and community resources made by the University of Illinois's Off-Campus Community Living Office.

University makes cuts to student services at off-campus community living office

At a time when students are struggling with leases, lockdowns, and landlords, the University’s Off-Campus Community Living Office has cut services and made major changes in its office. Among the cuts have been the elimination of the online service known as the “Housing Explorer,” which allowed students with information on rental properties in the Champaign-Urbana and to complain about landlords who provided poor housing.

Continue ReadingUniversity makes cuts to student services at off-campus community living office