Chicago renters facing possible eviction are getting free legal assistance from the city.
The city's housing department is working with nonprofits, including the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, and is putting $8 million in federal rental assistance funds intended for "housing stabilization" into the program.
The department noted that in the vast majority of eviction cases, landlords have legal representation and tenants do not.
They're trying to level the playing field.
Mark Swartz, executive director of Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, said, in a statement, the project will allow them "to expand our free legal and supportive services that help stabilize tenants with limited incomes who might otherwise become homeless."
Other cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Cleveland have similar programs.
