While Illinois continues to introduce policies to better protect tenants, the housing crisis remains far from resolved. The lack of affordable, available housing still affects renters across the state in serious and lasting ways. Eviction Help Illinois, a statewide network of nonprofits convened by the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation that provides legal help and resources for tenants facing eviction, found that:
“For the estimated 451,737 extremely low-income renter households in Illinois, there are only 162,318 affordable rental homes. That leaves a gap of 289,419 affordable and available rental units in Illinois.”
This shortage has real consequences. According to Injustice Watch, a nonprofit newsroom investigating the Cook County court system, more than 26,000 eviction cases were filed in Cook County last year. Even more troubling, they also found that about 80% of tenants went unrepresented in court. The need for accessible legal support didn’t disappear after the pandemic; in fact, for many, it has only intensified.
Lilly Lerner from Jane Addams Senior Caucus (JASC), one of Beyond Legal Aid’s longtime community partners, sees that need every day. JASC focuses on tenants’ rights and housing justice, and Lilly emphasized just how critical it is to support tenants as they navigate legal challenges. “Everyone deserves to be just as legally protected as the landlord is or would be, especially if they want a fighting chance in court,” she told us.
As part of our partnership, JASC meets directly with tenants, helps gather documentation, and sets up intake meetings with a Beyond attorney. While tenants seek legal assistance for many reasons, Lilly described some of the most common and concerning issues they encounter:
“Tenants experiencing a range of harassment and abuse from managers and building staff including retaliatory lease violations and evictions, retaliatory maintenance, illegal entry into units and destruction of their homes, verbal abuse, and more.”
One important aspect of JASC’s model is that tenants must be active members of their tenant association to receive legal services. Far from being a hurdle, this approach encourages tenants to be engaged in their cases and invested in collective action. Legal education and community organizing go hand-in-hand in this model, and both are essential for creating real, lasting change. As Lilly put it:
“Tenants' power comes from being united with their neighbors. Management wins when they divide and isolate tenants. When tenants come together, act in an organized fashion, and document everything, they become a powerful force. Only then do they have a real fighting chance to win.”
We also asked Lilly what it feels like to help a tenant reach their housing goals. Her response was filled with hope and conviction.
“When a community member achieves their housing goals and recognizes their power to achieve these goals when they fight back against wrongful treatment by management, it is really inspiring. We work to highlight those victories and support tenants in spreading the word about them to help rally and motivate other tenants to build the courage to stand up for themselves as well.”
The housing crisis in Illinois is not going away overnight, but by combining legal advocacy with grassroots organizing, we can help tenants build lasting change in their cases and communities.
Together, our partnership with JASC is one of many steps toward building a more just and equitable future for renters across Illinois.