People say there’s nothing better than summertime in Chicago, and based on the last few months, I’d have to agree! Music and street festivals are in full swing, the lakefront is teeming with folks enjoying the warm weather, and our staff is celebrating huge milestones locally and nationally!
Last month, Rentervention Director, Conor Malloy, and I headed to New York City to participate in the Nasdaq Opening Bell Ceremony alongside other Chicago Innovation Award Winners. As 2023 recipients of the Wintrust Chicago Neighbor Award for our Rentervention project, the honor was made even sweeter when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson named July 9th Chicago Innovation Day, celebrating the tremendous work done by Chicago organizations to drive progress and shape the city’s future! Read more here.
Inside eviction court, our team and partners at Legal Aid Chicago and CARPLS wrapped up the second year of the Right to Counsel Pilot Project, where we’ve now served renters in 53 of 60 Chicago zip codes. That’s more than 2,000 renters affected by our continued work! LCBH, our partners, and community members are now looking forward to advocating for permanent funding for Right to Counsel before City Council in September. You can help us advocate by contacting your alderperson too! Find a script here.
LCBH Board Member Shiva Kooragayala also transitioned to a new job at the U.S. District Courts this month! Shiva, our 2022 Barbara Grau Housing Advocate Award Winner, now serves as a judicial law clerk where he will get exposure to a vast array of legal issues and the opportunity for hands-on participation in the judicial process. I’m excited to see how Shiva’s new experiences, coupled with his passion for housing justice, continue to shape his board leadership. Congrats, Shiva!
Meanwhile, LCBH Supervising Attorney Jon Raffensperger testified before the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee on a rule change that protects unrepresented litigants from receiving important legal documents to unauthorized email addresses. The new rule would ensure landlords’ attorneys obtain permission to use a renter’s email before sending legal documents, protecting their privacy and safety. I’m so proud to see our staff continue to push for positive policy changes that protect renters’ rights. You can watch Jon’s testimony here.
These accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to LCBH’s continued work in Chicago! Every day our staff and board continue to fight for renters’ rights in and outside of eviction court, and I think that’s worth celebrating all year long. That’s why I hope you’ll join us on October 17th at our Bringing Justice Home Fall Benefit. This year, we are returning to Buddy Guy’s Legends for more good food, live music, and networking. During the ceremony, we will honor people and organizations who are working to level the playing field for renters, just like LCBH! You can meet this year’s esteemed award winners and purchase your tickets here.