Mission
The mission of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization is to educate, organize and empower tenants to have a voice in the decisions that affect the affordability and availability of safe, decent and accessible housing.
History
The Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO) is rooted in a 1981 Community Congress convened to find workable solutions to the affordable housing crisis at the time. The Congress recognized that Chicago needed a citywide organization to represent tenants. It led to a 5-year campaign to pass Chicago’s landmark Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) and the founding of MTO. Passage of the RLTO is a watershed event in MTO’s history. Since the passage of the RLTO, MTO has remained committed to the mission of educating, organizing and empowering tenants to have a voice in the decisions that effect the availability and affordability of safe and decent housing. Our primary goals are to better tenants’ living conditions and preserve housing, stabilize tenancies and prevent homelessness and improve communication between landlords and tenants.