An opportunity to make sure that the prostitutes and gang-bangers that used to hang around the 400 apartments never come back. In the two years since people started moving back into the renovated buildings, the area has been transformed. When prospective tenants ask for an apartment application, they are told about the drug test. Tenants renewing leases must be retested. Urine samples are checked for cocaine, marijuana, heroin and amphetamines.
Testing seems to have worked.
Neighbors near Bryn Mawr and Kenmore avenues are happy to be rid of the crime, tenants are happy to live in a safe environment, and developers are happy that their multimillion investment is a hit. It's no offense. Tenants rights officials say the drug testing could lead to problems. There have been reports of a few buildings in the country requiring drug tests, but Bartlett said he has not heard of another in Chicago. This actually smells of discrimination against people of color.