8/2/2019 1984 - Sep 29 - 780 AM - Editorial Reply - Orr on Tenant Rights

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WBBM Radio welcomes editorial replies by qualified spokesmen for the-purpose of further stimulating public discussion and maintaining fairnessand balance in the presentation of public issues. If you missed thebroadcast of this reply to a WBBM Radio editorial, we hope you will read it.. Your comments are always most welcome.

Gregg L. Peterson, Vice President, CBS Radio DivisionGeneral Manager, WBBM Radio

SPOKESMAN:TENANTS RIGHTSR84-l5lAlderman David OrrSeptember 29, 19842:40, 8:40 AM12:40, 6:40, 9:42 PM

lWBBM NEWSjlIiD IO 1 8 1 1EDITORIALREP f630 N. McCLURG COURT/CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60611

(312) 944-6000/CBS OWNEDSUBJECT:

BROADCAST:

(Recently, WBBM-AM criticized a proposed tenants rights ordinance thatis before the Chicago City Council. Here with a differing view isAlderman David Orr.) .

WBBM-AM and I agree that Chicago needs new legislation to balance therights of landlords and tenants. We disagree on how it should be done.

Today, a tenant with a broken window or stoppedup plumbing has noeffective remedy if an irresponsible landlord refuses to make repairs.Building inspections and housing court often take months or years toix.the problem.That's why 13 aldermen and I introduced theTenants Bill of RightsOrdinance. The "repair and deduct" provision is crucial because it allowsa tenant to have limited repairs made if alandlord refuses to do so.A similar measure has worked for nine yearsin Evanston and has been adoptedby many major cities and states around. t he country . Additionally, theTenants Rights Ordina nce allows tenants the chance to move if the landlorddoes not live up to the lease or to housing and building codes. The ordin-ance guar antees that tenants will have theirsecurity deposits protected ifa landlord goes bankrupt or sells the building. And,it requires everylandlord to provide a tenant with thesimple necessities of the owner's.name, address and phone number.My colleagues and It hi s o rd in an ce. Inboring properties.

agree that no responsible landlord will be burdened byfact, they will benefit from better management of neigh-Many landlords already meet the se st andards.

The 1970s saw a loss of over 70,000 apartments. The results can be seenall across Chicago -- abandoned buildings, vacant lots and overcrowding.The city council can help reverse this decline. It's time that the citycouncil took action to balance the scales for the sake of Chicago's 1.6million tenants.Chicago should catch up with the rest of the nation by iving tenants andneighborh oods hones t pro tections.If you agree, please call your alderman and express your support for theTenants Rights Ordinance.