Right to Repairs

While housing inspections are key to identifying problematic conditions, inspections are only effective if health and safety codes can be properly enforced. Currently, Cook County’s enforcement system too often allows bad behavior to go unpunished, while good faith owners of rental buildings with fewer resources struggle.

These issues very disproportionately affect majority Black and Latinoe communities and can lead to dangerous conditions, housing instability, and even homelessness for tenants, and loss of family homes and housing equity on the part of owner-occupants.  Impact for Equity is examining Chicago’s building inspection and enforcement system to identify policies and structural changes that could significantly improve the code enforcement system.