More Legal Protections For Chicago Tenants Facing Eviction From Homes In Foreclosure

In Chicago, Illinois, the Chicago Sun Times reports:

• Chicago renters left in the lurch — and evicted without warning — when their landlords face foreclosures would have added protections under a mayoral plan unveiled Thursday. [...] The plan calls for City Hall to expand an emergency rental assistance program to support up to three months of rent and moving expenses for eligible tenants evicted after a landlord’s foreclosure. Pro-bono legal services provided to evicted tenants by the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing(1) will be expanded.

• And the city is prepared to launch a tenant outreach program as soon as Gov. Blagojevich signs a bill on his desk that broadens the umbrella of protections for impacted renters. Among other things, the bill guarantees renters a minimum of 90 days’ notice before being thrown out of foreclosed buildings. Currently, some renters get as little as five days’ notice. The bill also requires the sealing of court records so landlords are not unfairly punished when they seek new housing or credit.

For more, see New laws to protect renters from foreclosure.

(1) According to their website, the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing's clients are provided an array of services by volunteer attorneys, from settlement negotiations to motion practice to full litigation, depending on the nature of their case; and the group observes that because of their efforts, the landlords’ bar is more easily persuaded to settle their evictions cases in a manner favorable to the tenant rather than continuing litigation. TenantRentSkimmingAlpha