Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance
The Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance from the Department of Housing and Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot has five main goals:
- Help protect existing residents from displacement
- Create new rental and for-sale housing opportunities that are affordable to households at a range of incomes
- Ensure that existing housing stock offers good quality housing for residents
- Promote housing options to support equitable and inclusive income diversity in Woodlawn
- Support economic development opportunities
The ordinance mandates affordability requirements on all rental and for-sale housing developed on City-owned residential land. It also appropriates roughly $4.5 million — and leverages another $5 million in loan funds — to various programs that will assist with rehabilitation of existing affordable housing.
Finally, it creates a Right of First Refusal Pilot Program in the neighborhood that would require an owner of a building with 10 or more units to give tenants an exclusive opportunity to make an offer on the property prior to its sale.
The ordinance was drafted in consultation with local aldermen and neighborhood organizations. The Chicago City Council adopted the ordinance in September 2020.
Questions and comments on the ordinance can be directed to DOH@cityofchicago.org.
Woodlawn Community Open House
The Department of Housing and the Department of Planning and Development co-hosted a community open house on Jan. 30, 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.