Living a big city life comes with big city prices.
With the 2026 midterms underway, affordability and living costs have become critical issues among Chicago voters.
Chicagoans aren’t alone in their concern. Illinois governor candidates JB Pritzker and Darren Bailey, and standing Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson, have made affordability a crucial tenet of their campaigns.
These acknowledgements are a step in the right direction for enacting change, but they raise questions as to what tangible efforts can result from the promises.
As college students enter post-graduation life, living costs can sometimes debilitate career flexibility. With rent continuously rising and often consuming a large portion of their paychecks, young adults may feel discouraged from pursuing their desired careers if they don’t offer a return competitive with surging expenses.
The housing dilemma doesn’t always begin after graduation. Undergraduate Loyola students are only required to live on campus for two of their four years, which leaves the second half of their collegiate residency up to personal discretion.
While students retain the option to live on campus beyond their requirement, upperclassmen housing begins at $11,500 annually per student. This is comparable to the $1,334 average monthly rent of Rogers Park residents, and both are perpetually increasing in cost.
Business, communications or law students who mainly attend class at Water Tower Campus are faced with even greater expenses, as the average rent in Gold Coast is $2,673 per month, and there’s only one residence hall on campus.
It seems young adults are faced with a choice of which living arrangement is the lesser of two expensive evils, but it doesn’t need to remain this way.
Ahead of the 2027 mayoral election, a poll reported by the Chicago Tribune reveals a 53% disapproval of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s job performance, but his new proposal could grant him more positive attention as rent-related concerns appear on upcoming ballots.
Johnson and his Chicago City Council critics agree rent is too high in the city, but they propose very different approaches to mitigating it. Johnson is looking to rewrite Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, and in doing this, he’d enforce the ordinance on landlords, providing more regulation surrounding their treatment of tenants.
While abuse by landlords may deter students from renting, it’s often the only option for young adults. While Chicago citizens have Renters’ Rights, these unit owners may use indirect means of asserting their power over renters by changing locks or turning off utilities.
From legal assistance in the case of eviction or retaliation to required identification by rental owners to city officials, this legislation would hold landlords more accountable for the mistreatment and exploitation of their tenants. Additionally, it would place the disagreements between owners and renters on a more even playing field.
A reformed version of Illinois’ housing regulations was also recently proposed, including a $156 million BUILD program to address housing shortages and affordability. It’s expected to face opposition at the November legislative session, as it would create more opportunities for middle-income tenants to reside in various, mainly wealthy, suburban areas.
Such proposals, if carried out correctly, may invoke a shift away from housing instability and renters’ exploitation. Campaign claims and proposed legislation are nothing without concrete action.
In addition to these rental inconsistencies, young adults are entering a very weak entry-level job market. Many industries have grown reluctant to hire candidates without experience, leaving post-graduates with decreased career stability and decreased salary opportunity. There haven’t been proposals surrounding this issue in recent months.
Authoritative figures — often politicians — need to fight for these bills to pass, and as the constituents, it’s also our job to vote in support of solving the problems we face.
With support for affordability-focused and job-stabilizing legislation, students could feel more confident in pursuing their desired careers. These bills may alleviate the anxiety that comes with navigating the housing market during post-graduation or upperclassmen years.
If citizens can’t find available, affordable living spaces and attain careers that support them, then there are evident issues necessary to address. The tireless work and ambition that comes from earning a college degree shouldn’t be dismissed in order to live comfortably today.
Legislation must continue to be proposed, but actors must also work together to ensure these proposals aren’t left at empty promises and are solidified with governmental action. The only way for young adults to achieve their post-grad ambitions is to engage in obtaining the tools and taking action toward them.
While it’s extremely important to vote in major elections, it’s also crucial to acknowledge the validity of local and special elections, as they may elect the leaders who will propose and put these necessary laws directly affecting the Rogers Park and Loyola community into place.
Actions speak louder than words.