Committee on Housing and Real Estate

Chicago City Council

Housing

Politics

Tuesday, April 20, 2021
2:00 p.m. CDT

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Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Monica Mosching

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Live reporting by Megann Horstead

Megann Horstead @MegannHorstead

Hi, This is Megann Horstead here. I'll be live-tweeting today's meeting of the Chicago City Council Committee on Housing & Real Estate, set to begin at 2 p.m. Stay tuned to @CHIdocumenters for updates. #CHIDocumenters

01:59 PM Apr 20, 2021 CDT

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The panel is currently waiting for a few members to join the meeting virtually. For information on how to tune in, visit chicityclerk.com.

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At 2:02 p.m., the meeting is called to order by Chairman Harry Osterman.

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A roll call of the committee members is underway right now.

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The meeting agenda is here: https://t.co/RAwpW7Aycq

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Osterman is setting the committee up for discussion on a potential amendment to the city's affordable requirements ordinance.

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Marisa Novara, commissioner for the Department of Housing at the city of Chicago, is giving a brief presentation on the ARO proposal.

She presented on this topic last week, right before the committee went into recess in response to the release of the #AdamToledo video.

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Currently, there are 50 people tuned into today's meeting.

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Ald. Maria Hadden said she believes the proposed ordinance amendment makes a step forward in terms of making affordable housing a more inclusive city venture.

She also wants to be recorded as a "No" vote in response to this proposal.

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Ald. David Moore asks for information about the Department of Housing's portion of the city budget. He said he wants to ensure the program isn't wholly reliant on collecting in-lieu fees through the affordable requirements ordinance.

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Novara said the city has looked at other forms of revenue and doesn't want to rely wholly on in-lieu fees to fund the program.

She said the city is doing the research and understands the concern raised by Moore.

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Moore said he is in support of this ordinance.

Osterman would like the city to look into the points raised by Moore.

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Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez asks why the city hasn't mandated ARO units.

Novara said the city doesn't pay for private development, the community pays for them.

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Sigcho Lopez said he understands the developers' position on the topic of profitability. He believes the city could miss an opportunity to address the issue with affordable housing by rushing the ordinance through. He said he hopes the panel comes to an agreement on this topic.

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Ald. Daniel Ła Spata asked what it might look like for the city to incentivize the development of more affordable family-sized housing units.

Novara replied, saying the city has set up measures to make it more doable from a developers' standpoint.

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La Spata asked what other incentives the city is hoping could make affordable housing more of a reality.

Daniel Hertz, policy director for the Chicago Department of Housing, said he's been moved by some of the pieces of proposed legislation moving around in Springfield.

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Vice Chairman Walter Burnett heaped some praise on the proposed amendment to the affordable requirements ordinance.

He said the ARO the city is working with today is not the same ARO the city had years ago.

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Burnett said the proposed ordinance amendment could go further to address the issue with affordable housing, but the panel needs to keep in mind what's likely to pass.

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Burnett echoed Moore's concerns expressed earlier in the meeting, questioning where the city money went that used to pay for affordable housing initiatives.

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Ald. James Cappelman said he supports the proposed amendment to the affordable requirements ordinance.

He said hopes there are no unintended consequences for naturally-occurring affordable housing opportunities as the city looks at amending the ARO.

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Hertz said the department recognizes the importance of naturally-occurring affordable housing, which in other words is not subsidized. He said the city is keeping that in perspective under the proposed ARO.

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Ald. Michael Rodriguez gives kudos to everyone involved in pushing the proposed amendment to the ARO forward. He said he knows of constituents who are concerned about the proposal in terms of the possibility for gentrification, or displacement.

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Hertz tried to address the concerns raised by Rodriguez. He spoke of the preservation opportunities that come with the proposed amendment to the ARO and how it could help.

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Ald. Roberto Maldonado said he will support the proposed amendment to the ARO.

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Ald. Pat Dowell asked about affordable homeownership.

Novara replied, saying the ARO program addresses it.

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Dowell asked if the ARO program helps residents with rehabbing their homes.

Novara said assistance is available and it is funded using in-lieu fees.

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There are no other speakers seeking to be heard.

A motion is made for a roll call vote.

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The roll call results in a 14-3 split vote.

The ordinance is regarded as due pass. The Chicago City Council will weigh in on this topic during tomorrow's meeting.

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A due pass recommendation is recorded for the large lot program ordinance.

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At 3:29 p.m., the meeting adjourns.

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This concludes all the live coverage at today's meeting of the Chicago City Council Committee on Housing & Real Estate, brought to you by @CHIdocumenters. For more information, check out the notes when they become available online at documenters.org. #CHIDocumenters

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Agency Information

Chicago City Council

chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov

(312) 744-3166

@ChiCouncil

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The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago and consists of the Mayor and Aldermen elected from each of the City’s fifty wards. Source

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