House & Apartment

A Single Room Occupancy (SRO) building usually refers to multi-unit housing. The housing contains units for occupancy by one person. A unit generally consists of a single room. The SRO building typically contains:

• A shared bath,
• May include a shared kitchen, and
• A common activity area.

Some SRO projects are federally subsidized. HUD funds renovating residential buildings with single room units.

The local housing authority provides Section 8 rental assistance payments to property owners. These are provided on behalf of the residents. The rental assistance payment covers:

• The difference between a portion of the resident’s income, and
• The unit’s fair market value The price that a normal buyer would pay .

Federal SRO projects must give priority for admission to unaccompanied homeless people. Residents of federal SRO projects have many rights similar to other federally subsidized residents. 

Residents of SRO buildings who pay rent on a monthly basis are protected against lockouts. They cannot be removed without a court-issued eviction A court case brought by a landlord to get a tenant to move out order. In Chicago, residents are protected against lockouts regardless of rent. Also, SRO residents in Chicago are entitled to written notice if the building is listed for sale.