The Tenant Trap
An Injustice Watch investigation found thousands of lower-income renters in Chicago are trapped in unsafe buildings, forced to pay rising rents, even as many landlords are allowed to shirk their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, warm, and free of rats. This series examines an unfair legal system set up to protect property owners’ rights at the expense of tenants.
Explore the Project
A yearlong Injustice Watch investigation found tenants are regularly facing eviction and informal displacement at buildings with histories of serious safety violations. We followed tenants using every tool at their disposal to improve their living conditions and hold their landlords accountable, but found a legal system set up to protect landlords.
sue the landlord
READ MORE: How we analyzed 2.3 million housing and eviction court records →
Listen to this series
We partnered with Reparations Media to record audio versions of this five-part series. Click below to listen to the each of the stories, read by Reema Saleh.
Impact
A project with impact
After we presented our findings to Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans, he issued an order allowing tenants facing eviction quick access to records about their landlords’ building code violations.
Know your building. Know your landlord.
Pilsen tenants followed the law in withholding rent. They were forced to move out anyway.
Project Contributors
Reporting by Alejandra Cancino, Maya Dukmasova
Data analysis by Forest Gregg, Alex Richards, Steven Vance
Photography by Abel Uribe, Sebastián Hidalgo, Max Herman
Illustrations by Verónica Martinez
Reporting contributed by Grace Asiegbu, Eva Putnam
Editing by David Kidwell
Fact checking by Jonah Newman
Audio by Reema Saleh, Reparations Media
Engagement by Amanda Miley, Charles Preston, Jason Schumer