Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
2d ago

Chicago Council Delays Vote on Citywide Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance

Opponents used a parliamentary defer-and-publish maneuver to push the final vote to September.

A coach house in the 900 block of North Honore Street on July 16, 2025, in the East Village neighborhood of Chicago. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • The City Council’s Zoning Committee approved the compromise ADU ordinance 13–7 on July 15, advancing attic, basement, garage and coach house conversions by right in single-family zones.
  • The measure caps new ADUs at one per block in R-1 districts, two in R-2 and three in R-3 each year, while allowing local aldermen to opt out of those limits.
  • It requires homeowner occupancy, designates every second unit as affordable and bans short-term rentals to guard against investor-driven conversions.
  • Alds. Marty Quinn and Greg Mitchell successfully deferred the full Council vote under the “defer and publish” rule, postponing final action until September.
  • Building on a 2021 pilot program, the expansion is part of Mayor Johnson’s Cut The Tape initiative to help address Chicago’s 120,000-unit housing shortage.