Johnson’s relocation fee threatens affordable rentalsA proposed ordinance would force landlords to pay tenants thousands to end a lease. The mandate risks higher rents and fewer affordable units. A provision in Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed “Protecting Renters Ordinance” could trigger higher rents and fewer affordable units. That would likely hurt the small, family-owned buildings that make up most of the city’s affordable housing. The answer to more affordable housing is not a mandate that raises the cost of owning a small rental building.