Neighborhood housing providers across Chicago strongly oppose Mayor Johnson’s “Protecting Tenants Ordinance” (PRO).
The ordinance would make sweeping changes to Chicago’s Landlord-Tenant Ordinance, adding more than 100 new regulations.
Major concerns include:
Over one hundred new regulations: These regulations will increase costs for owners and tenants.
“Just Cause Eviction”: Requires lease renewals unless a material violation is proven. “Just Cause Eviction? Perhaps better to call it an “Endless Lease?”
New Fees: Imposes an annual fee of up to $60 per unit to fund a new enforcement department.
More than 1,300 people have signed our petition opposing the ordinance.
Housing providers and our lobbying team are meeting with aldermen to explain how this ordinance, if approved, would seriously harm housing providers and their tenants.
Our opposition centers on one key question: “How exactly would this ordinance make rents more affordable?”
Legislative Update
Here is the latest:
The PRO was officially introduced on June 29 during a subject matter hearing. No vote was taken during this meeting.
The proposed legislation PRO was NOT on the Housing agenda during the Committee meeting that was held on July 8.
There does NOT seem to be enough support at this time to advance the legislation out of the Housing Committee BUT that could change.
NBOA Staff and lobbyists have spoken with nearly every member on the Housing Committee to schedule a meeting or discuss opposition to PRO.
Meetings will continue to occur to ensure PRO does NOT advance.
The conversations with members of the Housing Committee have focused on PRO’s negative impact on both housing affordability and communities. These messages are resonating so THANK YOU for all your help in signing the NBOA petition, talking with your Alderperson, or showing up to the Housing Committee meeting.
We call it “Mayor Johnson’s Housing Affordability Ordinance” — his name, and a reminder of the promise it’s supposed to keep.
Three core messages:
A new fee funds a landlord registry — that raises costs, not rent.
Just Cause forces us to renew leases for bad neighbors who disturb, harass, or commit crimes. It also lessens the chance that a housing provider will take a chance on a prospective tenant with blemishes on his or her credit or criminal background.
100+ new regulations favor corporate owners, pushing small owners to sell to them.
Results: A Tribune editorial board meeting produced a strong editorial before the ordinance was even introduced. We got great coverage in print and TV. Our line — “you can’t make housing more affordable by making it more expensive to provide housing” — even ran unattributed.
NBOA has created a web page containing a link to the full ordinance, an overview of media coverage that quoted NBOA members, and a campaign allowing you to send an email directly to the Alderman where you own properties or where you live.
Support the work of the NBOA by becoming a sponsor of the event, or purchase tickets to attend. Click the link below to see the varying levels at which you can sponsor, and help us continue our important advocacy work on behalf of neighborhood multifamily.
Finally, Tom Shallcross and Mark Ainley of the Straight Up Chicago Investor podcast recently posted an episode where I provide an update about the proposed ordinance. Listen to Inside Chicago’s Proposed Rental Overhaul. (15 minutes)
Michael Glasser
NBOA President
The NBOA represents and advocates for the following Chicagoland neighborhood building owners associations
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