For a yearlong investigation at Injustice Watch, with support from the Fund, senior reporters Alejandra Cancino and Maya Dukmasova dug into the unfair treatment of thousands of Chicago renters living in unsafe and decaying apartments while facing skyrocketing rents and a court system designed to protect the rights of landlords first. The pair interviewed more than 100 tenants, landlords, judges, attorneys and other experts and conducted an unprecedented analysis of more than 2.3 million records from the Chicago Department of Buildings and the Cook County Circuit Court. Through the data, they identified more than 2,000 apartment buildings in Chicago with a history of serious code violations, two-thirds of them in majority-Black communities. In the face of these substandard housing conditions, they found families fighting back by withholding rent, calling city building inspectors and suing their landlords – but finding a legal system set up to protect landlord profits. The series also explores the history of failed reforms and some of the proposals now under consideration to help elevate tenants’ rights.
Grantee series takes unprecedented look at unfair treatment of Chicago renters
