HOUSING JUSTICE

We believe high quality, safe, accessible, and affordable housing for seniors—as well as individuals and families—is a human right. Committee members work in senior buildings to form tenant associations and grow power to address building condition concerns while organizing to preserve affordable housing for seniors. We build power to pass housing policy that reflects our values at the city, state, and national levels.

We are currently collaborating with Seniors across the city to pass our second piece of legislation, the Senior Housing Ordinance, as well as working to preserve Section 8 affordable senior housing across the city and build strong and sustainable tenant associations. The Lift the Ban Coalition for rent control is also something our members care deeply about and work, as part of the steering committee to see the ban on rent control in the state of Illinois be lifted. We are also organizing alongside the tenants association at Evergreen Towers I and II to demand the safe living conditions. Lastly, JASC is a member of the Chicago Housing Initiative that is working to pass two pieces of legislation: Homes for All and Development for All, both of which aim to solve Chicago's affordable housing crisis.

Homes Guarantee is a national grassroots coalition with members of People’s Action. We envision a future where everyone is provided with a home regardless of race or income. This policy includes millions of units of public housing built, reparations for decades of racist housing policy, an investment in social housing, and more. Interested in learning more? Email Kira@seniorcaucus.org

We work to build majority based tenant associations across Chicago in senior buildings who face a loss of affordability or wide spread conditions issues. Is your building facing an affordability issue or are you concerned about conditions? Do you hope to build power through a tenant union? Email Kira@seniorcaucus.org.

Is your building facing affordability issues? Are you concerned about living conditions? Do you want to build power through a tenant union? Contact an organizer today!

Timeline of Victories

2020
- We preserved 26 units of affordable housing in Humboldt Park at 2815 W Divison
2019
- Introduced our second piece of city wide legislation The Senior Housing Bill of Rights
- Passed our first independently run piece of legislation called the Chicago Relocation Plan Ordinance
- Preserved 342 affordable housing units in Old Town at Morningside North
2018/2019
- We preserved 56 units of affordable housing in Rogers park at Levy House
2018
- Preserved 86 units of affordable housing at Morningside South Apartments
- Successfully removed an abusive manager from Evergreen Towers I and II
2016
- Organized with seniors to get CHA’s commitment to preserve 112 units of Senior Housing in Lakeview and Rogers Park formerly owned by Presbyterian Homes.
2015
- JASC worked with residents at Kenmore Plaza to preserve over 100 units of affordable housing in Edgewater.
2012
- JASC and the Sweet Home Chicago Coalition proposed and drafted key amendments to the Chicago’s TIF Purchase Rehab Ordinance. This law makes additional Tax-Increment Financing (TIF) available to redevelop apartment buildings for lower wage house-holds thus increasing the affordable housing stock in our city.