When people think of slumlords, they tend to think of landlords with multiple large properties. However, in Chicago, we’ve seen that there are small landlords that you have to be wary of, as well. Many small landlords don’t know the eviction process, or they prey on tenants that don’t know their rights. Luckily, community member Jorge knew his. He faced eviction due to no longer being able to make rent. Instead of following proper protocols, his landlord locked him out of his apartment and threw away his things. Shortly after this, Jorge came to Beyond Legal Aid when a friend put him in touch with community partner, Autonomous Tenants Union, or ATU.

Jorge had a few goals working with Beyond and ATU which he listed as, “to learn more information on my rights, to get more time to relocate, to have my belongings returned, and to keep eviction off my record.” At first, he was still being harassed by his landlord. She constantly asked him when he would move out, entered his apartment without consent, and even turned off the gas and heat in his apartment. It got so cold that he had to use a space heater. Once Jorge’s Beyond attorney, Sarah Cockrum, got involved, all of this stopped. He said, “Sarah did more than I expected. I felt happy and supported. Sarah validated me and I no longer felt alone or afraid.”

Now, Jorge has left his old apartment and moved somewhere nearby. He was very happy that he had the time to find a place he was comfortable moving to, and that he didn’t have to uproot his life. He also received money in a settlement, so he was able to replace what his landlord threw out. Jorge also received something particularly meaningful, which was an unexpected apology from his landlord. He says, looking back, “I’m very grateful for the services I received.” To avoid issues like these in the future, ATU is advocating for a rental registry that would educate landlords on local housing policies. Please consider donating to Beyond so that we can continue empowering Chicagoans to advocate for themselves to find safe and affordable housing.