Your Daily Guide

Affordable Housing in Chicago

“Chicago is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis that has been building for a long time,” a letter from the Department of Housing states. There are 100,000 fewer affordable homes than there are households in need.

So what’s going on with the city’s stock of affordable housing?

CHA Waiting game: The Chicago Housing Authority is the city’s largest landlord with more than 21,000 units. But about 18% of sites are vacant due to rehabilitation needs. Meanwhile, Chicagoans can be stuck on the waitlist for years. The wait for public housing may get longer once the federal government’s Emergency Housing Voucher Program runs out of funds this year, potentially affecting more than 1,100 households in the city.

• Remember when an alder waited nearly 30 years to make it to the top of the list?

Relocations: Waitlists for CHA relocation requests due to safety concerns are almost as long. Residents with disabilities, experiencing domestic abuse, or facing health issues at their current unit are struggling to be transferred into safe, accessible housing.

Leadership drama: Mayor Brandon Johnson wasn’t thrilled about the April appointment of CHA's new permanent leader, Keith Pettigrew, citing issues of transparency. The agency was without a leader for a year and a half.

More accessible units: A city panel just agreed to a $2.25 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by a disability advocacy organization claiming Chicago failed to build enough affordable housing for people with disabilities. The agreement calls on the city to build or rehabilitate 2,000 new accessible, affordable units.

Affordable housing developments in the works: CHA isn’t the only agency that can create affordable housing in Chicago. Many organizations are taking matters into their own hands.

• The Missing Middle Initiative aims to revitalize neighborhoods. The Far South Community Development Corporation plans on transforming vacant lots in Morgan Park into three-flat residential buildings this fall.
• Faith-based groups are creating housing on underutilized land, calling it “Yes, in God’s Backyard.”
• This developer’s Garfield Park units are nearing completion.
• A report on housing near transit hubs shows progress five years after the city signed off on the policy.

Online housing resource: An online affordable housing portal pilot could grant residents access to a network of affordable units. City council is set to vote on the ordinance today.

• Listen: How the portal could make finding housing easier.

Two Alders File Suits — One Against the City, One Against the Feds

Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) is suing the federal government for $100,000 after federal immigration agents shoved and handcuffed her in a Humboldt Park hospital in October. At the time, footage of the incident went viral. Fuentes says she’s dealing with “physical, psychological, and emotional injuries.” [Tribune 🔒]

Meanwhile, Ald. James Gardiner (45th) is suing the city for $1 million, nearly a year after ethics violations against him were dropped. In 2023, the Chicago Board of Ethics ruled that Gardiner had committed 10 violations, including ticketing a critical constituent for overgrown weeds, and fined him $20,000. [Block Club]

New Latino Northalsted Bar. Plus, Pritzker Disses the Mayor

A new bar is celebrating Chicago’s queer Latino community in Northalsted. On today’s podcast, we break down the latest. We also discuss the drama surrounding the Bears’ pending stadium and our favorite rivalries in the city. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Parking Meters to Be Sold. Again.

The private consortium that owns most of Chicago’s parking meters is set to transfer ownership — and hundreds of millions in annual revenue — to a New York investment firm. The final deal is subject to City Council approval. [CBS Chicago]

• Earlier this year, Mayor Brandon Johnson floated a $3 billion proposal to buy the meters back. But city experts said it was unfeasible. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
• Good thing we only have 57 years left on one of the city’s most hated deals 😬 [City Cast Chicago 🎧]