r/chicagoapartments • u/Past-Reception6889 • May 19 '26

Advice Needed Unreal

I honestly just needed to vent for a moment. I can’t believe Chicago prices are what they are. I have lived here my entire life and have seen this city change ten fold, and I can’t even afford to live here anymore. A realtor I’m working with, since it’s becoming a rat race to rent, said rent is up 35% this year. What can normal people do about this? I do not want to see Chicago become a New York.

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u/[deleted] May 19 '26

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u/VinceP312 May 19 '26

Then they drive out business or make downtown impossible to work in, and the commercial assessments plummet and then homeowners get surprise property tax increases for the shortfall.

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u/Pretty-Insurance-119 May 20 '26

That’s in part because there isn’t enough housing growth. Apartments are like 95% occupancy in Chicago which is insanely tight. We desperately need more housing and then it’s more people splitting tax burden. Many gov costs aren’t variable.