On a gray Sunday in Rogers Park, strings of red, green, and white papel picado fluttered over a courtyard as neighbors passed plates of mole and tamales. The gathering wasn’t a party. It was a vote. By day’s end on Oct. 26, 2025, a tenant union representing about 150 residents across four nearby buildings had authorized a rent strike, according to Chicago Tribune.

The union, Fuerzas Activas de la Damen, formed in August after a new owner, developer Imran Khan of Ark Management Solutions, announced that rent increases would take effect in September—hikes tenants say average roughly 60%, or $500 to $800 more per month. Many residents, mostly Hispanic and Latino families who have lived in the North Side buildings for decades, report current rents of $700 to $900 and say the increases would push them out, as reported by Chicago Tribune.

“This fight is happening in a moment of deep crisis,” said Juan Reyes, an organizer with the All‑Chicago Tenant Alliance. “Families are facing the threat of eviction and deportation at the same time.” The union is calling on Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to institute a citywide eviction moratorium amid stepped‑up immigration enforcement, pointing to policies used during the COVID‑19 pandemic, when eviction moratoria were deployed to prevent homelessness, according to Reuters and Chicago Tribune.

On the ground

Tenants say the rent spikes come alongside basic maintenance problems: ceiling leaks, mold and water damage, pests including rats, bedbugs and cockroaches, and unsealed doors and windows. They shared photos of conditions with the Tribune, which also reviewed images of moldy water damage and traps filled with insects, as reported by Chicago Tribune.

Several residents said they paid October’s rent at the previous rate, having refused to sign new leases with the higher price, only to receive emails labeling the difference as an “outstanding balance.” Union members say they hope to negotiate a smaller increase of $100 a month before the strike begins, according to Chicago Tribune.

  • Current rents reported: $700–$900 per month
  • Proposed hikes: $500–$800 depending on unit
  • Average increase described: about 60%

The stakes are personal. “With these high rent costs, you’re hurting all the honest and hardworking people, who have had to stop buying medicine for their loved ones who are sick at home,” said José Rentería, a longtime resident. “Queremos dignidad y justicia. We want dignity and justice.” Others voiced fear of immigration arrests on their way to work; a pair of volunteers from Protect Rogers Park stood watch at the entrance of Sunday’s gathering to alert neighbors if federal agents appeared, as documented by Chicago Tribune.

The owner’s response

In an emailed statement, Khan called the union’s claims “misleading.” “What we offered was a substantially reduced rent for residents who agreed to provide valid identification and sign written leases,” he said. “For those who chose to remain month‑to‑month without a lease, the rent rate is higher due to the additional risk and administrative burden of informal tenancy.” He added: “We remain open to continued dialogue and collaboration, but progress has been difficult due to the union’s refusal to engage in good‑faith discussions.”

Khan also said the four buildings were acquired in “extremely distressed condition” due to “neglect inherited from prior ownership,” and that “we have invested over $1.5 million into essential improvements — including new roofs, boilers, and water heaters — and we are currently renovating 18 hallways and common areas” to ensure safety and stability. He described himself as an immigrant and “self‑made entrepreneur” who grew up in the community. “This is home to me. I would never take any action that harms immigrant families; on the contrary, I deeply understand and respect their struggles,” he said. “Our mission is to revitalize and preserve affordable housing, not displace it.” Tenants dispute the owner’s characterization of both conditions and the lease options, according to Chicago Tribune.

Some residents have already left. Analía Miranda, who lived there for 23 years, said three siblings moved out recently because of rising costs. “He’s going to win,” she recalled them saying. “He has money.” Miranda stayed. “OK, but we have dignity,” she said she told them. “If we lose, we’ll lose with dignity.”

Policy and context

Rogers Park has long been one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods, home to roughly 55,000 residents and a mix that includes about 19.5% Hispanic, 24.3% Black, 44.9% White and 5.1% Asian residents. The median household income is $57,591, slightly below the city average, according to Wikipedia. Those demographics help explain why steep rent hikes can quickly transform into displacement pressure.

Market forces are bearing down, too. The median sale price of a home in Rogers Park reached $275,000 in September 2025, up 15.2% year‑over‑year, as reported by Redfin. Rising values can incentivize investors to raise rents or reposition buildings for higher‑income tenants, intensifying pressure on longtime renters.

At City Hall, lawmakers this year introduced “just cause” eviction protections requiring a valid reason—such as nonpayment or lease violations—for evictions or nonrenewals, according to policy analysis from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The same analysis notes a Northwest Housing Preservation Ordinance that grants tenants in certain neighborhoods, including Rogers Park, a right of first refusal to purchase their building before a sale, intended to prevent displacement.

The push for an eviction moratorium carries precedent: during the pandemic, temporary bans were used to keep people housed in a public health emergency, as reported by Reuters. Organizers say the current mix of rising rents and stepped‑up enforcement calls for a similar approach, according to Chicago Tribune.

Tenants aren’t fighting alone. Across the city, unionized renters aligned with the All‑Chicago Tenant Alliance have mounted similar campaigns, a pattern outlined by Wikipedia. In Buena Park, members of Fuerzas Inquilinos de Broadway y Cuyler are battling landlord Drew Millard in eviction court, the alliance told the Tribune, as reported by Chicago Tribune.

What’s next

Residents say they’ve been warned they’ll face eviction if they refuse the new rent. Some have stopped going to work, fearing arrest; others head out with dread. In the near term, Fuerzas Activas de la Damen members say they want a negotiated compromise—something closer to a $100 increase—to avoid a strike, according to Chicago Tribune.

Whether that deal comes will test the city’s evolving housing rules and political will. The just‑cause framework could shape how any eviction filings proceed, while the preservation ordinance, where applicable, may offer tenants another lever if ownership changes are contemplated, as outlined by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Meanwhile, the neighborhood’s rising home prices and the uncertainty of immigration enforcement create conditions in which every move—by tenants, the landlord, and public officials—carries outsized consequences, as reflected in data from Redfin and reporting by Chicago Tribune.

“This fight here today is part of a much bigger struggle. It’s more than just rent,” Reyes told neighbors. “It’s a fight for dignity, for justice and for community, for all tenants across the city.”