Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing

Recent Posts

Importance of Rental Assistance

June 23, 2021 posted in COVID-19, Court-Based Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA)

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges for many Chicago renters, where widespread employment cutbacks and shelter-in-place mandates have made paying rent burdensome and nearly out of the question. Like many tenants, emergency rental assistance came as a relief to Kimberly A. As the sole provider for herself and her daughter, Kimberly was forced to take leave from her job to care for her daughter due to school closings. Her savings dried up and she was left with only a small portion of her earnings. When she no longer had enough to cover her rent, she turned to LCBH, where she received help applying for emergency rental assistance. The funds not only helped Kimberly to get back on track but she was even able to get ahead in her financial obligations.

Today, Kimberly is a licensed realtor. She credits an early round of emergency rental assistance for allowing her to prioritize rental payments while staying focused on her professional goals. "You just don't know what a difference those funds made in me and my daughter's life; it put me ahead of the game and things are looking up," said Kimberly.

To learn more or to apply for emergency rental assistance, visit https://chicookilrenthelp.org.

LCBH Alumni discuss their experiences and the KCRO

June 23, 2021 posted in LCBH Alumni, Foreclosure, Keep Chicago Renting Ordinance (KCRO)

We recently caught up with two LCBH alumni, Rachel Blake and Charles Nicholls. Rachel is Associate Director for Regional Housing Legal Services in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Her work is a mix of policy advocacy, organizational strategy and strategic planning. Charles is an attorney at Nicholls Law Offices in Chicago, IL. His firm deals with civil litigation, income, civil rights, employment and housing issues.

Mark's Musings – June 2021 Edition

June 23, 2021 posted in COVID-19, Sealing, Keep Chicago Renting Ordinance (KCRO)

Summer's finally here and it feels like things are slowly starting to get back to normal again. I was elated to go to the Justice Entrepreneurial Project's graduation - my first in-person work event since the pandemic. Congrats to the JEP grads.

As things continue to normalize, I hope that the eviction court will evolve into a place where resources are adequately distributed before a rush to evict. With the judicious use of emergency rental assistance coupled with legal assistance in court, nonpayment cases don’t need to end in eviction. And once we return to normal, we still must contend with the ongoing housing crisis: there is not enough affordable housing and too many tenants are severely rent-burdened, with more and more of their income going to just covering rent.

Renter StoriesMore Stories

Kimberly

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges for many Chicago renters, where widespread employment cutbacks and shelter-in-place mandates have made paying rent burdensome and nearly o

Miss Wade

While many assume evictions are not an issue for Chicagoans right now due federal and state evictions moratoria, the reality is quite different.

Gerald

Our client, Gerald S., has worked hard throughout his career and never missed paying his rent.

Michael

Our client, "Michael," worked hard throughout his career to save for retirement.

Margie

In 30-plus years in the Logan Square area, Margie had only lived in four different apartments.

Ms. Thomas

Imagine you’re sprawled out on your couch after getting home from work, taking a moment to unwind from the day, thinking about what you might make for dinner.

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