I am the proud great-great-great granddaughter of undocumented Chinese immigrants. As a sixth generation Chinese and fifth generation Japanese American, my family has lived through more than 170 years of Asian American history, including The Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese American incarceration during World War II.

Housing prices are out of control in Illinois and renters are feeling the pain. The average cost of rent in Chicago jumped 10 percent over the last three years, feeding an exodus of people out of the Windy City and into more affordable climes.

 

It’s clear why, to borrow a phrase from New York, the rent is too damn high. Greedy property companies, a statewide housing shortage, and “NIMBY” homeowners have combined to create an affordability crisis.

 

At times like this, Springfield needs to take action. But there are smart ways to reform housing and there are feel-good measures that will make little difference to the average Illinoisan.

 

Unfortunately, a bill introduced this month, Senate Bill 343, falls into the second category.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is about to introduce a drastic and far-reaching housing ordinance that is so wrong-headed it must be strongly challenged. Titled the Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO), the proposal as written reads like a renter’s manifesto to completely control another person’s private property. If enacted as written, PRO will reshape the city’s rental market in ways that will ultimately harm the very residents it claims to protect.

I liken an apartment building I’ve purchased to my own home. I’ve shouldered the risk and invested my own funds. I’ve also now become responsible for the safety and stability of the people who live there. And like any homeowner, when someone refuses to follow basic rules, I should have the right to ask them to leave. Yet Chicago has spent years chipping away at these fundamental rights, expanding regulations to the point that many rental housing investors now avoid the city’s traps altogether.

Today I offer a simple challenge to every member of the City Council: try buying and managing an apartment building in Chicago yourself and experience the daily grind of operating one. See how difficult and expensive it is to remove a tenant who hasn’t paid rent in months or who is disturbing their neighbors. Watch your property taxes, utility bills, insurance premiums, staffing costs, and maintenance expenses climb year after year. Then try to keep rents affordable while simply breaking even.

Now imagine doing all of that under the new PRO proposal. The package includes a series of measures that would make it harder to maintain safe buildings, more expensive to operate them, and less appealing for anyone to invest in new housing. Most of the measures are cleverly titled to sound reasonable, but the pitfalls are plentiful, for instance:

“Just Cause Evictions.” Limiting reasonable non‑renewal options will push more disputes into court, increase formal eviction filings, and make it harder to maintain stable communities.

“Rental Registry.” Chicago already has enforcement tools and public posting requirements. A new registry would be costly, duplicative, and unnecessary.

“Right to Counsel.” These programs often prolong cases of eviction, increasing unpaid rent, legal fees, and court costs, all burdens that fall hardest on small housing providers.

“Move‑in Fees.” State and federal agencies are already implementing new transparency standards. Chicago should allow those reforms to take effect before adding another layer of regulation.

“Expanded Penalties.” The current RLTO already includes some of the strictest compliance standards and penalties in the country. Adding more punitive measures will discourage investment and shrink the city’s housing supply.

“Bureau of Rental Housing Services.” Creating another government bureaucracy which duplicates functions already handled by existing agencies and nonprofits will increase costs and slow development.

“Renters Bill of Rights.” Most of these protections already exist under federal, state, or local law. Duplicating them adds confusion without delivering meaningful new benefits.

What makes this even more troubling is that the PRO was drafted without input from the people who actually provide housing. That’s not just an oversight, but an affront to the thousands of housing providers who risk their capital, maintain their buildings, and keep Chicago’s rental market functioning.

If the Council truly wants to revisit the city’s housing laws, it should start by inviting landlords, developers, and property managers into the conversation. Collaboration is the only path to a balanced framework that protects renters while encouraging investment. With the right approach, Chicago can expand its housing supply and, thereby, lower rents.

But none of that will happen if policymakers continue writing housing laws without understanding what it actually takes to own, operate, and sustain an apartment building in this city. I’m serious alderpersons, go buy one.

Stuart Handler is the CEO of TLC Management Co., a Chicago-based owner and manager of apartment buildings throughout the Chicagoland area. Handler also delivered the commencement address at the 2026 UIC College of Business Administration graduation ceremony.

Illinois families and businesses depend on a stable, competitive insurance market. Whether it’s protecting a home after severe weather or ensuring a small business can recover from unexpected losses, affordable coverage is a necessity. That’s why legislation now moving through Springfield should give policymakers and consumers serious pause.

Today on May 18th, we recognize International Museum Day. For me, this is not just a moment to celebrate culture, it is a reminder of the role museums play in driving economic growth, strengthening communities, and shaping the future of Illinois.As Chair of the Illinois House

Museums, Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Committee, I have spent time listening to museum leaders, educators, artists, tourism officials, and community organizations across our state. One message has come through clearly: museums are not simply cultural institutions. They are economic infrastructure.

For years, Allison Bolden struggled to afford higher education – often putting the reality of needing to work and earn a living ahead of her dreams. After delaying her degree during the pandemic as she and her family focused on their jobs as essential workers, Allison eventually found a home at Chicago State University. She will be graduating in a few weeks, distinguishing herself as an honor scholar with plans to pursue law school.

 

In East St. Louis, a massive hole opened on Interstate 64, sending drivers swerving to avoid harm. In Quincy, a bridge was closed for a month following an expansion joint failure, forcing farmers and commuters to find another way to safely cross the Mississippi River. In Peoria, a busy road is crumbling, while outdated intersections lead to regular crashes. And in Springfield, a long-delayed highway widening project causes long delays and dangerous congestion. 

At Faye & Joe’s Southern Bowl, every plate we serve carries more than just food. It carries family history, hard work, and a promise to our customers that we’ll give them something real. Meals made from scratch, rooted in recipes passed down through generations.

But like so many small, family-owned restaurants, what happens behind the scenes matters just as much as what’s on the plate. Costs are up across the board, from food and labor to utilities and added fees. And one of the biggest challenges we face is swipe fees.

Illinois citizens have long benefited from a strong, competitive insurance marketplace, one that created a buyer’s market for auto and homeowners needing insurance protection. Pending legislation in the State Senate would likely change what is working well, replacing it with a bureaucratic process that threatens to drive up insurance premiums.

As multifamily housing providers across Illinois, we see the state’s affordability challenges firsthand. The supply of housing — both affordable and market-rate — has failed to keep pace with strong demand, which continues to rise as the gap widens. If we are serious about addressing affordability, we must focus on expanding housing opportunities across our state. Governor JB Pritzker’s Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD Illinois) proposal takes meaningful steps to address those structural challenges.