PRO is not a single measure. It is five interdependent components that together address the enforcement gaps, information asymmetries, and displacement pressures documented in this data.
COMPONENT 01
Rental Registry
- Builds the data infrastructure the city currently lacks — a comprehensive, publicly searchable record of every rental unit, who owns it, and whether it meets basic standards
- Overhauling the way the City monitors and enforces healthy conditions for renters — moving from reactive complaint response to proactive, systematic accountability
In South Lawndale (PRO priority #1), 61.6% of the housing stock is in 2–4 unit buildings. In West Garfield Park (#2), 62.9%. Without a registry, these buildings are invisible to systematic city enforcement.
COMPONENT 02
Bureau of Rental Housing Services
- Ensures tenants have enforceable rights by creating a dedicated city bureau within the Department of Housing with real investigative authority — not just a hotline
- Coordinates enforcement work across city agencies so tenant complaints lead to action, not referrals
- Educates and supports both tenants and landlords on rights, responsibilities, and compliance
South Shore: 75.6% renters, $42,654 median income. Woodlawn: 74.7% renters, $38,924 median income. Neither community has a specialized enforcement bureau to call today.
COMPONENT 03
RLTO Reform + Tenant Rights
- Streamlines and modernizes Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance — last comprehensively revised in 1986 — to reflect today's rental market and enforcement realities
- Establishes a codified Tenant Bill of Rights covering habitability standards, notice requirements, and protections against retaliation
- Reforms security deposit rules and administrative fees; bans junk fees and undisclosed charges that inflate the real cost of renting
At $2,350/month — Chicago's April 2026 market rate — a household needs ~$93,000 in annual income to stay below the 30% cost-burden threshold. Hidden fees push families further past that line.
COMPONENT 04
Eviction Counsel Program
- Provides legal representation for income-eligible tenants with an eviction defense — closing the representation gap between tenants who rarely have counsel and landlords who almost always do
- Offers legal consultations for all income-eligible tenants in eviction, even those who may not have a full defense, so no renter faces court alone
The pilot served 4,302 households across all 50 wards from July 2022 through December 2025. PRO would codify this program permanently, with sustained funding through the City's corporate fund.
COMPONENT 05
Just Cause for Eviction
- Protects an estimated 10,000 families annually by requiring landlords to document a legitimate reason — unpaid rent, a lease violation, or a verified owner move-in — before issuing a notice to vacate
- Provides relocation assistance for tenants displaced through no-cause — recognizing that when the system removes someone from their home, it owes them a fair transition
Chicago's median rent is up 37% since 2020. Without Just Cause, a landlord can end a long-term tenancy for any reason — or no reason — simply to re-list at a higher market rate. In South Lawndale (#1 PRO priority), 58.1% of residents rent at a median of $990/month while the neighborhood's median household income is $52,810. The gap between what existing tenants pay and what the market now demands is exactly the displacement pressure Just Cause is designed to stop.