For more than two years, Lynya Cooper did everything she was told to do. She submitted documents. She requested an emergency move. She explained, again and again, why her daughter Trebora Talbert—who had a progressive neurological disease and used a wheelchair—could not safely live in a second-floor apartment without an elevator.

They were still waiting when Trebora died.

Court records show the Chicago Housing Authority later paid $525,000 to settle allegations that it failed to provide reasonable alternative housing. Federal investigators found the CHA in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, a senior compliance manager has come forward alleging years of systemic failures and civil rights violations affecting residents with disabilities.

Roughly 35% of CHA residents are people with disabilities. They are seniors, veterans, working families, and neighbors who rely on public housing not just for shelter—but for safety and equal access. When reasonable accommodation requests are delayed, denied, or mishandled, the consequences are not abstract. They are physical, emotional, and sometimes irreversible.

We call on the Chicago Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Interim CEO, and Mayor Brandon Johnson to ensure immediate accountability and full transparency in resolving disability rights violations. That means finalizing and fully implementing a strong voluntary compliance agreement with HUD, appointing independent oversight of accessibility reforms, protecting whistleblowers from retaliation, and publicly reporting measurable progress toward compliance.

Chicago can and must do better. Civil rights protections are not optional, and accessibility is not a favor—it is a legal and moral obligation.

No family should spend years pleading for basic accommodations. No resident should fear retaliation for speaking up. And no agency entrusted with public housing should operate without accountability.

Sign this petition to demand reform, transparency, and justice for CHA residents with disabilities.