10/07/2026
98% of affordable housing on Chicago’s South Side and across the city is owned by small, independent "mom-and-pop" property owners (per DePaul University).
Yet between surging operating expenses, steep property tax hikes, and looming new regulations, these working-class housing providers are being squeezed to the breaking point.
Small owners keep Chicago housing affordable because they put sweat equity into their buildings—often doing the maintenance and repairs themselves to keep expenses low.
Push them out, and the consequences are predictable: our housing stock will diminish, and rents will rise.
