Housing Affairs Letter

Illinois

Builders Face Complex Chicago Zoning

Low-income housing developers vying for a share of the Chicago housing market now face what the Chicago City Council dubbed three new “Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO)” zones.

read complete story

News Bytes From Your Communities

There are few options to be found for low- and moderate-income workers hoping to live near public transportation in Chicago’s northern suburbs, according to a new report by the Winnetka, Il-based Open Communities and the Center for Neighborhood Technology. The report, titled Quality of Life, Equality of

read complete story

Mayor Opposes Eminent Domain Move

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) opposes a proposal made to the City Council that would allow the city to use eminent domain to take properties at risk of foreclosure and refinance the mortgages to prevent foreclosures.

read complete story

Town Gears Up For Rental Onslaught

Communities across the nation are facing a problem that until recently primarily plagued urban areas, the supply and maintenance of rental housing and control of their health and safety features in the wake of the foreclosure crisis.

read complete story

Buffett Invests In Illinois Housing

Affordable Housing Partners, owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, will invest in a $29 million center for seniors on Medicaid in the Chicago suburb of Lansing. Affordable Housing is a subsidiary of Buffett’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway

read complete story

(HOUSING CRIME FIGHT) Rental Housing Crime Fight Launched

A two-year trial program intended to reduce crime in large apartment complexes is approved by the Batavia, IL city council. The new law requires landlords of large apartment buildings to complete a Crime Free Rental

read complete story

(HOUSING INVESTMENT) AFL-CIO Trust Invests In IL Housing

The AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust provides $2.1 million of union pension capital to aid the construction of 42 affordable housing units in an extensive housing development in Joliet, IL. The union's investment gets it

read complete story

(HOUSING SUBSIDIES) Chicago Mulls TIF Aid For Homeowners

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) crafts a plan to use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenues to provide assistance to first time homeowners who buy vacant homes requiring substantial rehabilitation.

read complete story

(SECTION 8 STUDY) Study Seeks Sec. 8 Diversity

A study of Chicago's public housing shows tenants displaced by housing demolitions continue to live in segregated low-income neighborhoods despite possession of Sec. 8 housing vouchers subsidizing their

read complete story

(AFFORDABLE HOUSING) Chicago Stalls Affordable Housing Vote

A move by the Chicago City Council to set aside about $100 million a year to build or preserve affordable housing is placed on the legislative backburner while backers map plans to circumvent a

read complete story