Lawyers' Committee For Better Housing

Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) is recognized as a leading public interest law firm specializing in housing law and policy. Founded in 1980 by a small group of lawyers concerned about deteriorating apartment buildings and housing abandonment in the Rogers Park neighborhood, LCBH now serves all of Chicago. Today, LCBH has five legal programs and supportive services providing a holistic approach to its clients through meaningful access to the judicial process and linkages to essential services that can help avoid homelessness. LCBH focuses on tenants in the private rental market facing critical housing issues with this target group representing more than 70% of Chicago’s low-income households. LCBH is the only agency in the Chicago area to focus its legal services exclusively on renters. In 2011, the agency provided direct services to 1,932 tenant families and total services and education impacting well over 7,000 individuals. In recent years the agency’s expertise in landlord/tenant issues has uniquely positioned it to be on the forefront of the foreclosure crisis as it affects tenants and to assist community based organizations and agencies in Chicago as well as Cook County and other areas of Illinois in educating stakeholders on foreclosure issues.