South Side tenants demand action against inattentive landlords
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Tenants on the South Side are demanding action against inattentive landlords, and more support from City Hall.
CBS 2's Marissa Parra reports they gathered near the 6th Ward aldermanic office. The crowd represent tenants from over 40 buildings across Chicago's South Side.
They're looking for City Council support on the Chicago Healthy Homes Ordinance. They said it's time for Chicago to hold its landlords accountable, who they said are abusing the system in their own favor at the cost of the people who live there.
They're asking for a better system to keep buildings clean and up-to-date on repairs. Tenants said conditions are unlivable and inhumane.
"We have mold, we have lack of smoke detectors, we have fire extinguishers that have expired, we have broken entrances, bad porches, faulty wiring. In one building, we had a water leak. The first time we were there, water was running through the gangway. When we came back a week later that water had frozen, and the tenants reported slipping on it. Sam Clendenning of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization.
They said five buildings are currently in court over these issues. The 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer told them he supports them, and agreed to a meeting with them next week. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is calling for a federal investigation.
