Housing Policies in Chicago Needs to Change

Housing in Chicago needs to change for the better. Even in one of the richest cities in America, homeless people are struggling to survive. Chicago is also known nationwide for its intense weather. These homeless people not only have to deal with all the insane trials and tribulations of being homeless, but they also have to do it in Chicago’s crazy weather.

The housing situation gets worse and worse every year. The rent is rising higher and higher to unreasonable rates. There is so much that politicians and city officials could do about this situation. The options and solutions are there, however, the situation grows increasingly urgent for the citizens of Chicago.

Intersectionality Informed Solutions

However, to properly implement a policy to solve a problem, one must fully understand the problem. The problem of housing in general is complex. What makes it even more complicated is the specific material conditions of Chicago. The overall housing problem suggest that more and more people are finding themselves unable to afford a home.

This issue could be directly tied to income inequality. It should be stated that income inequality impacts marginalized groups differently than nonmarginalized groups. This is especially true of marginalized people that have a history of economic exploitation through housing. African Americans and Latinos are two groups most effected.

Profit Based Problems

Furthermore, the statistics on this specific problem point towards an upwards trajectory of rent rates.  “Rent prices rose 9.4% in 2022, according to data firm CoStar Group,” according to WTTW. With wages continuing not to match up to the living wage in those areas, the problem begins to proliferate.

People simply don’t make enough money to continue living in the places they have lived for their entire lives. To raise prices like this, solely in the pursuit of higher profits is, arguably, cruel. That is, perhaps, the only real reason why housing in Chicago (and America as a whole) is such a problem. The profit motive is often seen as the sole motivation driving landlords to make rents higher and higher.

Solutions For A Housing Crisis

So what can be done about this? Some mediations and solutions can alleviate and eliminate the core problems that are creating this issue. One of the primary tools could be rent fixing. Rent fixing is when a government decides that the price of rent is getting too high and decides to “fix” the price to a certain point.

This policy aids in the alleviation of this major issue by cutting out the most dangerous variable of the housing problem. That variable would be continuous growth. Rent fixing solves about half the problem. Half of the problem it solves is the rent itself. However, the reason why people can’t afford unstable rent increases is a much more complex issue that requires many more solutions.

Subsequently, there is a suggested solution that stands out amongst its competitors as a way to cut down on income inequality. That solution is simply raising the minimum wage to living wage levels for all workers. Doing so would greatly decrease the number of people that are struggling to pay their rent. They wouldn’t have to have multiple jobs either. But both of these policies used together at the same time could change the entire real estate landscape for Chicago.

It could lead to fewer homeless people, and people with more free time to spend with their families. Raising the minimum wage and applying a renting fixing policy could greatly increase the quality of life for everyone involved. These two policies, applied with others in tandem, could be the first step in eliminating the housing crisis in Chicago, and maybe across America as a whole. Yet, the fact remains that housing in Chicago needs to Change

Written by Kenneth Mazerat

Sources

NBCChicago: Rent Booming in Chicago, Up 11% in 5 Months by JC Navarrete

WTTW: As Rents Rise, Push to Eliminate Illinois’ Ban on Rent Control Grows by Jennifer Cotto

Vox: Rising rent prices are keeping inflation high by Madeleine Ngo

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers‘ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

First Inset Image Courtesy of artistmac’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License