May 10th 2010 4:45PM
On the heels of some positive reports about Chicago's housing market, including the surge of home sales in March, that nasty, little word "foreclosure" is back. We've discovered this month that Chicago renters were harder hit than homeowners in the housing crisis, foreclosure auctions are hitting an all-time high, and... Continue Reading »
May 5th 2010 5:00PM
Empty houses are hard to survey, but that's the challenge facing census workers in the Chicago area, where foreclosures and vacancies are weighing down response rates. This isn't just a predicament for the U.S. Census Bureau, it's a problem for these communities and their residents. Each uncounted resident could cost... Continue Reading »
Apr 29th 2010 4:03PM
Security deposits haven't been that secure for many Chicago tenants lately, especially after foreclosures forced occupants from more than 8,500 rental units in 2009. That ended up costing renters as much as $7.3 million in lost deposits. Current city law requires landlords to return security deposits to displaced... Continue Reading »
Apr 14th 2010 11:35AM
Foreclosures can devastate entire neighborhoods. In addition to leaving people homeless, foreclosed houses that sit empty often fall into disrepair, posing safety risks, lowering property vales and decreasing a community's tax revenues. Now, add a new problem to the list: giant raccoons. In Chicago, where there have been... Continue Reading »
