Students and community members gathered at the Channing Murray Foundation in Urbana on Saturday to discuss increasing rent prices in the area. The town hall was organized by Lift the Ban Coalition, a statewide group advocating for an end to the ban on rent control in Illinois.
The 1997 Rent Control Preemption Act bars local government units from restricting rent prices for private or commercial properties. Subsequently, there are no limits to how much an Illinois landlord can increase rent each year, and there are no rent-controlled or rent-stabilized properties in the state.
Organizers at the event shared information about Illinois House Bill 3687, which would amend the 1997 act. The amendment would allow residents to vote on whether to implement rent control in their area and provide further protections for renters.
“We want to lift this ban and try to put forward some rent stabilization policies to help our communities, our neighborhoods, our families,” said Diego Morales, campaign coordinator for Lift the Ban.
HB3687 would not apply to those in medical facilities, short-term hotel stays, educational dormitories and owner-occupied properties with six or fewer units, among other groups.
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Organizers encouraged attendees to send a letter asking their elected officials to support the Bill. Carol Ammons, Illinois representative for the 103rd House district, which includes much of the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area, is listed as a sponsor for the bill. State Senator Paul Faraci of the 52nd Senate district, which also encompasses C-U, has not expressed support.
Following their presentation, organizers asked the roughly 45 attendees to share their own testimonies. Participants contributed stories of high rent prices, shady landlords and relentless maintenance problems without resolution or compensation.
“There’s a lot of students that come to campus, and they’re not able to see the apartments before they move in,” said Katherine Mimnaugh, a community member and University alum. “There’s not really a lot of information on who you should avoid and who are the decent landlords in the area.”
Karen Medina, a Champaign homeowner, believes that the lack of rent control is affecting everyone.
“Even people who own their own homes should be concerned about rent control,” Medina said. “And we should be able to afford rent because when we don’t have affordable housing, then it hurts everybody.”
In April, the City of Champaign reported that rent had increased by nearly 60% since 2015. The national average for the past ten years was 40%.
Rebekah Mangels, a C-U organizer with Lift the Ban, said communities must continue to organize for rent control. A regional town hall for central Illinois is scheduled for Oct. 7 in Bloomington, Illinois.
“This town hall is a good first step to building tenant power, and ultimately, that is the reason why we’re here,” Mangels said. “I think building tenant power is ultimately going to help us fight these landlords, because we can’t do it individually.”
The town hall ended with concluding statements from organizers, and attendees continued to talk and share experiences with each other thereafter.
“People often feel like they’re alone, that this is happening to them and their whole world is crashing around them,” Medina said. “But reaching out, telling their stories, it’ll help … we do have power in numbers.”
