Overview

• Ald. Desmon Yancy, joined by Alds. William Hall and Jeanette Taylor, introduced a substitute ordinance in the City Council’s housing committee that could get a committee vote today and a full council vote as soon as Thursday.
• The pilot area is bounded by 60th Street, King Drive, South Chicago Avenue, 71st Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, covering most of Woodlawn and parts of South Shore and Greater Grand Crossing while excluding the 7th Ward after its alderman did not back the prior plan.
• The measure reserves specific city-owned lots for new affordable apartments with at least 75% of units affordable at up to 60% of area median income, sets aside 25 city lots for for-sale homes under City Lots for Working Families, and identifies 52 Woodlawn lots for development under the 2020 ordinance.
• It allocates up to $3 million for property tax debt relief with grants up to $5,000 for eligible owner-occupants in South Shore, Englewood and the Lower West Side, and up to $3 million to rehabilitate abandoned residential buildings into for-sale homes affordable up to 120% of area median income.
• Tenant supports include creating an Office of the Tenant Advocate, providing eviction legal services for renters under 80% of area median income, giving tenant associations a purchase opportunity before open-market sales, and expanding a fair-notice requirement, while prior proposals to cap fees and deposits were dropped.