We educate, organize, and empower tenants to have a voice in the decisions that affect the affordability and availability of safe, decent & accessible housing.
Who We Are
The Metropolitan Tenants Organization is a membership organization made up of tenants, tenant organizations, community members and groups who support the mission of MTO.
Chicago's need for an organization to represent tenants
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.
Establishment of Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
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.
Our Principles
MTO believes that there are 4 key elements to Housing Justice. Housing must be Affordable, Stable, Habitable and Accessible.
Affordable means that no one should have to spend all their income on housing. Individuals and families still need resources for food, clothing, education, and more. No one should have to choose between buying food or paying rent. Affordability can be accomplished through controls on rent, increases in subsidies and investment in low- and moderate income housing.
Stable means knowing that when problems arise, one’s home will not be at risk. For many, the loss of a paycheck or a sudden illness can mean the loss of home. Nor should anyone lose their home just because someone with more resources wishes to move into their neighborhood. Neighborhood development should protect affordable housing especially for people with lower incomes. Stability can be accomplished through Just Cause Eviction Ordinances, limits on gentrification, and emergency subsidies.
Accessible means that people should have quality choices to determine where their homes will be. People with disabilities, criminal records, families with children, and seniors all deserve to live in areas that have economic opportunity and safety. Accessibility can be accomplished through more protective fair housing laws preventing discrimination, easier to use subsidy programs and modifying and building housing available to people with disabilities.
Habitable means housing should be decent. We all need homes that are safe and well-maintained. This means homes are dry, ventilated, pest-free, clean, and contaminate free. Habitability can be accomplished through pre-emptive building inspection programs, subsidies and investment in housing maintenance.