I was recently reminded of the saying, “In November, we count blessings more than worries,” and, this year, amid city and federal budget uncertainty, it feels especially true.
That’s why, in the spirit of gratitude, I’d like to take a moment to express my gratitude for the staff, volunteers, community partners, and donors who’ve made our work possible during the last year. They give us the support, wisdom, and courage to carry on.
Our Staff:
In 2025, LCBH’s staff served more families than ever before. They helped renters avoid eviction, seal eligible records, and exercise the Right to Cure to pay their back rent. They worked long hours to negotiate fair settlements between landlords and tenants. They listened to and advocated for mothers who feared their children would lose their homes, elderly and non-English speaking renters who didn’t know how to navigate Zoom Court, and chronically ill renters who weren’t sure how they would pay both their medical bills and their rent.
Above all, they showed up with empathy and tenacity every day. They empowered renters to take control of their housing situations and to fight for their rights. As LCBH renters Paul and Erica put it, “[Our attorney] made sure that we knew that free didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to work hard for us,” and, like them, I am so grateful. You can read the rest of Paul and Erica’s story here. To our staff, thank you for your compassion and diligence.
Our Pro Bono Attorneys:
Ten volunteer attorneys founded LCBH in Rogers Park 45 years ago. Since then, pro bono has remained part of our DNA, and this year was no different.
In 2025, nearly 60 pro bono attorneys from 11 firms and law schools supported LCBH’s mission. Our volunteers offered brief advice to renters in Rentervention’s Virtual Clinic; co-counseled cases where renters were illegally locked out of their apartments or were unfairly denied their security deposits; and staffed community-based conditions clinics in Garfield Park and online. Most recently, our pro bono partners at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP helped host a clinic at Garfield Park Community Council, where volunteer attorneys drafted 14-day conditions letters for tenants experiencing substandard conditions in their apartments.
To all our volunteers, thank you for donating your time and expertise to help us reach more renters in need of our services.
Our Right to Counsel Pilot Project Partners:
Since 2022, LCBH, and our partners at Legal Aid Chicago and CARPLS, have provided extended representation to eligible renters inside eviction court through the Right to Counsel Pilot Project (RTC).
Together, we have served nearly 4,000 renters at risk of eviction with extraordinary success. In cases where a renter wanted to avoid eviction, 92% avoided a formal eviction judgment. Of clients who agreed to move out, 75% were granted more than 30 days to move.
These outcomes would be impossible to achieve without the assistance of a skilled legal aid attorney, like those on staff at LCBH and our partner agencies, for whom I’m so grateful. I’d also like to thank the City of Chicago Department of Housing who has not only been a great ally in advocating for continued RTC in Chicago but also provided the critical funding for our pilot.
You can hear more about the impact of our partnerships here.
Our Supporters:
A list of the things I’m grateful for would be incomplete without expressing my appreciation for the ardent supporters of our organization who are the reason we can continue providing vital housing resources for renters in Chicago and Suburban Cook County.
Your support ensures we can maintain the same level of service and retain highly qualified attorneys who understand renters’ rights and the eviction process, meaning more renters facing eviction will go to court with an advocate who believes they deserve equal access to justice. You give renters options when everything else is working against them. You are the reason we can say ‘yes!’ when everyone else says ‘no.’
Thank you for making our mission possible. We could not do the work we do without your steadfast support.
P.S. Giving Tuesday is right around the corner! Be on the lookout for a message from us or learn how you can continue powering our mission in 2026 by visiting www.lcbh.org/donate.