Preserve Strong Communities with Housing Mediation

Lawrence had been a tenant of Jackie’s for over five years, when the two of them found themselves in a mediation at the Center for Conflict Resolution. Their pending eviction case had been referred for mediation and the landlord and tenant had both agreed to give it a try. The mediation was held virtually.

The mediator asked the parties how they’d ended up in court and learned very quickly that Jackie and Lawrence had a lot to say. Jackie was angry that Lawrence had overdue rent of nearly six months. Jackie had owned her three-flat in Chicago for over 10 years and she prided herself on being a good landlord. Jackie lived on the first floor and had tenants on the top two floors. She felt that Lawrence, who rented the third floor, had been a good tenant the first few years she knew him, but things had not gone well since the pandemic began.

Lawrence was also upset with Jackie. He could not believe that Jackie had filed an eviction case against him. Lawrence was insulted and concerned about his future prospects as a tenant with an eviction on his record. He had also been having a really hard time during the pandemic. Lawrence lives with his adult brother and is responsible for his brother’s care. It was really hard to come by resources and support in 2020 and Lawrence fell behind in rent. He had not been able to keep up on rent since 2020.

The mediator pointed out that Lawrence and Jackie were not simply landlord and tenant, they were also neighbors. This observation prompted both parties to speak warmly of the other, as they had enjoyed a good neighbor relationship over the years. The mediator continued to ask questions of the parties and helped them determine what a good path forward could look like for both of them. Ultimately, Jackie and Lawrence agreed that it would be best for Lawrence to find a new place to live. He could not comfortably afford the rent and he needed a ground-floor apartment so his brother would not have to deal with so many stairs. Jackie decided she could forgive the past-due rent, if Lawrence and his brother could leave the apartment within the month.

The parties made an agreement for Lawrence to move in the coming weeks and for Jackie to dismiss the pending court case. When it was time to electronically sign the agreement, Jackie was having trouble with the technology. Lawrence cheerfully offered to come down and help her navigate the system. Jackie was relieved to have the support. Within a few minutes, the mediator saw both parties appear on the screen together, joking and chatting as they finalized their agreement. They agreed the mediation was complete, but decided to continue their neighborly conversation when the mediator logged off. Through mediation both parties had a chance to tell their story, repair their relationship, and make a realistic plan to move forward.

Francis and Melissa ended up in mediation after their eviction case was referred by the court for mediation services. The mediator began the session by asking each of them what had brought them to the mediation.

Francis had never intended to be a landlord. She purchased a house in 2021 and planned to do some renovations to it before moving in. A few months after she bought the house, her daughter’s friend, Melissa, fell on hard times and needed a place to stay. Francis was worried about Melissa and offered to let her stay in the new house.

Melissa was very angry and embarrassed to be in her current situation. She had experienced some very real setbacks during the pandemic and her housing and employment resources had been seriously diminished. When Francis offered to let her stay in the new house while it was under construction, Melissa thought her problems had been solved.

After the women told their stories, the mediator began asking questions to determine what had gone wrong. From the start, it seemed like they were on the same page about what had occurred. After talking a little longer, the mediator realized that they had very different expectations for how long their arrangement would last. Francis thought Melissa would stay for a few months, three at the most, but Melissa thought she could stay indefinitely, maybe for as long as a year.

Both parties were really shocked that the other would have made a different assumption. The mediator helped them talk about ways to move forward and hopefully land on the same page. After some further discussion, Francis was able to share with Melissa that she needed her to move out of the house so that Francis and her family could move in. Francis’ own living situation had changed, and she could no longer be generous about the house Melissa was living in. Melissa responded positively to the candid story and agreed that she would find new housing and move out of the house. The two women spent the rest of their time with the mediator making plans for the upcoming transition. It was important to Francis that Melissa be able to land on her feet, and so they worked together to think of multiple solutions for Melissa’s housing problem. In the end, the mediator was able to draft a move-out plan for both of them that was realistic and brought them resolution.