On Friday, September 17, Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine’s Policy Director, testified in favor of the Just Cause for Evictions ordinance during a subject matter hearing held by the Housing and Real Estate Committee of Chicago’s City Council.

Epplin was called to testify on behalf of Health & Medicine about the Just Cause for Evictions ordinance from a public health perspective. The Chicago Housing Justice League, of which Health & Medicine is a member, invited the testimony alongside several others in support of the ordinance. Below are two brief portions of the testimony, which you can read in full here.

“Each of us knows: Having a home enables us to thrive, connect with and contribute to our communities, and live a healthy life. Each of us deserves a home that is affordable, accessible, safe, and healthy.

Without a home, threats to our health abound. Unjust, no-cause, no fault evictions pose a public health threat and contribute to health inequities, the systemic patterns of difference in health status and outcomes measured across different populations that are unfair, unjust, and remediable.
…

The Just Cause for Eviction ordinance will protect individuals, families, and communities from the public health harms of people being evicted through no fault of their own.

To advance housing justice and protect public health, I urge you to put a stop to no-cause, no-fault evictions in Chicago by passing the Just Cause for Eviction ordinance. Thank you.”

A video of the hearing is available here (Epplin begins at about 1:08). The recording includes several testimonies from members of the Chicago Housing Justice League, which has developed and refined the ordinance.

Slides from the presentation are available here and you can learn more via the campaign’s website and become involved in the Just Cause for Evictions ordinance by contacting Epplin at wepplin@hmprgstage.wpengine.com.