Woodlawn Community Open House

The Departments of Housing and of Planning and Development hosted a community open house on January 30th, 2020 at Hyde Park Academy High School. The open house was an opportunity for residents to learn more about the proposed programs, offer feedback to Department of Housing and Planning staff, and talk with their neighbors. More information on the event is available on the document at right.

Goals of the Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance

1. Help protect existing residents from displacement;

2. Create new rental and for-sale housing opportunities that are affordable to households at a range of incomes;

3. Ensure that existing housing units offer quality housing for residents;

4. Ensure and support people and families of various incomes to be able to live in Woodlawn; and 

5. Support economic development opportunities.
   
   

Key Components

• Tenant Right of First Refusal for larger apartment buildings - Gives renters the right of first refusal if a landlord seeks to sell his/her building. Rather than tenants being automatically displaced from the sale of a building, tenants would have the right to form a tenant’s association and enter into an agreement with a not-for-profit affordable housing developer to purchase the building and maintain it as affordable.
• Preservation of Existing Affordable Rental (PEAR) - This apartment building refinance program would help existing owners refinance their property to keep tenants in place and rents affordable.
• Long-Term Homeowner Repair Grant Program - Assists longtime homeowners to remain in their homes by providing grants for home repairs.
• Residential Acquisition and Rehabilitation Revolving Finance Facility - Supports the creation of rental and for-sale units by helping finance the rehabilitation of vacant buildings.
• Development of City-Owned Vacant Land – Sets guidelines for the disposition and development of City-owned, vacant, residential land for affordable and mixedincome housing.
• Enhanced local hiring requirements - Residential developments that receive City land for development of rental housing would be required to meet enhanced local hiring requirements.

Public Input

The Department of Housing wants to know what you think about these proposals. Please get in touch with someone from the Department by emailing your thoughts to DOH@cityofchicago.org.

Stakeholder Meetings