Chicago’s rental housing market runs on a unique foundation: classic two-flats, three-flats, and neighborhood courtyard buildings owned by everyday people who live in the communities they serve. These independent, mom-and-pop housing providers supply roughly 70% of Chicago’s affordable housing without taking a single dollar in public subsidies.

We are not institutional corporations with teams of lawyers; we manage our properties from our kitchen tables, know our tenants by name, and live alongside our neighbors.

Today, that vital ecosystem is under threat. Between soaring property taxes, insurance rates that have doubled since 2019, and ever-increasing maintenance costs, 90 cents of every rent dollar is spent before it is even collected. Piling on more than 100 new mandates and redundant city bureaucracies will not lower housing costs—it will force small providers to sell to out-of-town corporate landlords.

We advocate for balanced, evidence-based housing policies that protect good neighbors, preserve naturally occurring affordable housing, and ensure Chicago remains an affordable, thriving city for both tenants and local providers.