Good afternoon.
I want to welcome everyone
to the February meeting on the Committee on Housing
and Real Estate of the City of Chicago.
The time is 1245 and the meeting is called to order.
Today we have one item in the
agenda, so we'll have a short meeting.
Um, we'll now have a roll call to establish quorum.
Vice chair Mitchell, vice Mitchell, president Al Alderman.
Present Al she's still in finance.
Um, Alder. Mahar. Present. Alderman Quin.
Present. Alderman Moore. Present. Aldi tab?
No present. Alde Present. Fuentes? No Present.
Alderman Burnett. Present.
Al Rosa r Sanchez? No. Present.
Uh, alderman Sala. Present. Alderman Gue. Present.
Aldi meets Present. Clay? No. Present.
Present. And Ali Manhattan? No. Present.
That makes one, two. Yep.
10 members including the chair. So that give us quorum.
So quorum has been established.
Now we have the rule 40, uh, 40, 59 requests from person.
Um, we have Robinson, Taylor, Scott,
uh, those are the three other persons
that requested remote participation.
Uh, can I get a motion to allow them
to be added to the quorum?
So move Alman. Casada. All those in favor say Aye.
All those opposing name in the opinion
of the chair, the have it.
Um, alderman Robinson is now joining us
and Taylor, uh, both are joining us via, um, zoom.
Um, we have today, lemme see.
We have three speakers today in person.
Each speaker will be given three minutes
to all items on the agenda.
The first speaker will be Mr. George Blakemore,
Chairman of this committee.
We have young people here,
and I sure they are observing what's going on.
Time is very important.
When they start in the workplace, it's gonna be a time
for them to start work and a time for them to stop.
You'll sitting. A poor example, you call one
of the alter lady, pat Dowell is not here.
Where is Pat Dial? Mr. Bmore?
She's over in finance, in, in the chamber.
Why would you have those two meetings at the same time in
the same place?
Why would you schedule this?
And, and the reason they wasn't on time
because they're having another meeting in the chambers.
This is a non-functional government,
and it's a bad example for that.
You are showing to these young people dealing with housing,
uh, a rental, uh, housing.
But the main thing is
that when you get a job, you do your job.
And one of the the requirements is to be on time.
They was not on time.
You was wondering why they didn't start,
because they didn't have a Quora.
Now, Michelle Harris got up and walked out.
So again, I'm educating the public.
They're having two meetings, the same date,
the same place, and the same time.
Or why would they do this?
They're non-functional government
and you expect them
to be honorable when it comes to housing.
Rental of housing and inspection.
No, I want you all to, when you get old enough
to get involved, use these people as an example of something
that you don't want to do
and be, please use them as an example.
They are bad example for the young people.
Even when you going to have a lady get ready to have a baby,
those babies don't come out.
Uh, at the same time. Time is very important. Twins.
One might come out three minutes while I'm talking.
You see those two amans right here?
You see 'em talking to each other.
The, when, when the public come up
to speak, they supposed to
Stop.
They supposed to serve the public.
So you young people, uh, I, I want to educate you.
I want to inform you and enlighten you.
If you get a job, do your job.
And don't be arrogant.
You look, those two over here on the corner,
Uhhuh, what they're saying.
We are not interested in what Mr.
Bmore is saying, but they getting paid to listen,
to pray like they interested.
They're arrogant. This is a non-functional government.
You go over here now.
Thank you. Next we have, um, uh, Willie Jr.
Fleming from the Chicago Anti Eviction Campaign.
Um, good afternoon housing committee.
Uh, my name as state is Willie, Jr. Fleming.
I'm the Executive director
of Chicago Anti Eviction Campaign.
I've been doing the human rights to housing work
for over 27 years in this city.
I come from Cabrini Green Public Housing, which I love
to brag and boast about, um,
because it helps set the foundation for my work.
Today I'm here to address three issues.
One of the issues is fines, water bills on vacant lots.
The second issue will be about community land trust,
or whether the second issue will be about properties our
organization own in the South Shore community, um,
that are being run down and mismanaged.
And then the third issue will be about community land trust.
So right off the back, I wanna be brief.
Um, my organization owned
and received properties from the federal government,
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
and Hood, through a program called the Neighborhood
Stabilization Initiative, which we helped develop with them.
My organization has been receiving fines for the last seven
and eight years and have paid these fines just to get
to closing these fines.
Arrange from they, they can be from anywhere,
from vacant lots to vacant properties,
not they claim not being registered, receiving a water bill.
I have a lot currently, um,
86 24 South Singman in Alderman Moore Ward.
And I, I do wanna say his office has been helpful in the
past in addressing this issue.
Although the water department
and the City Department of, um, streets
and Sanitation are not very, are not a very respectable,
um, entity.
Uh, one of the issues I have is that my,
this lot has received a water bill on a vacant lot.
Let's say this again, there is no water running on a vacant
lot and I'm just asking somebody to address it, right?
Um, and as you guys can take a look into the practices of,
um, the water department,
the second issue I have is 73 63 South South George Shore
Drive, which I believe is Alderman Mitchell Ward.
We have a condo owner who owns 127 plus units, um,
in South Shore, who only predominantly houses migrants.
And I have nothing against who we house,
it's just unfair housing.
You have to offer housing to everybody.
This gentleman name is Damien Riano.
I know Alderman Mitchell is, um, aware of him.
City of Chicago need to address some
of the issues he's causing.
A lot of it is a lot of tension between black folks
and migrants being caused by the property owner.
So I do want you to address that issue at some point.
Alderman Mitchell. The third one would
be Community Land Trust.
As you guys look at affordable housing rentals going into
this foreseeable future, I want you
to look at a community land trust
as an alternative housing solution.
I'm currently the president, board president
and co-founder of the Chicago Owners Land Trust
with Chicago Community Loan Fund.
That house about 16 community land trust organizations,
some from Inglewood River there throughout the city.
Community Land trusts offer long term
home ownership possibility
and long term
of affordability when it comes to rental houses.
Thank you. Um, Mr. Fleming.
Next we have Melissa Ortiz, executive director,
uh, UND company Chicago.
Good afternoon. Um, I'm Melissa Ortiz, executive director
of ing Good Company Chicago.
Um, we're a 5 0 1 C3 not-for-profit.
And we actually organized in response
to the Shy Block Builder Program,
which the only reason why I wanted to come up here today is
to, um, promote and,
and thank the powers that be
for creating a program like this.
Because as all, all of us know, as we're residents
of the city of Chicago, there's hundreds of vacant
lots owned by the city of Chicago all over the south side
and all over the west side of the city.
This Shy Block builder program provides an avenue for
average citizen to come in
and agree to steward the land for 10 years,
to create an urban garden, to grow food
and provide a space where the community can gather,
um, can grow food.
And our, our, our model is to provide fresh produce,
honey, possibly eggs at low or no cost for the community.
My hope is that with all of our partners
and community buy-in
and engagement, that we can use this as a prototype
and replicate this in other neighborhoods across the city.
The only thing though, is there's some people, in order
to make this happen, we have to have alderman support.
And I canvassed, um, many different alderman offices looking
for properties and a partnership.
And I'm not sure why,
but some aldermen who, who aren't into gardens
or aren't into, um, urban agriculture.
And I think it's a shame
because we all know that we've got food deserts.
I mean this lot at 1 0 1 4 South California,
it's a block north of Roosevelt
and California, the nearest grocery store.
I don't know how people get to the grocery store
unless you're gonna walk.
I mean, if you don't have a car, I don't, I don't know
how people are getting not just fresh
food, but just any food.
Um, and I think we can do this.
I mean, the will is there, the land is there.
It's just a matter of everybody wanting that.
Uh, that we, that all, we wanna all have that same goal
and work together rather than working against each other.
And we're, this is what we're about and what we're doing.
I welcome everybody to stop by.
Hopefully this summer we'll be out, uh, out there.
So we're looking for volunteers, we're looking for people
to get involved, social media people, things like that.
So we would love to have you once we, once we get up
and running and, um, thank you so much.
Thank you. Uh, next we have is Zoe Lee.
Yeah. So, uh, you know, I already know
how I feel about Tiff.
Uh, that's a scam
and it's starting to look like it's dwindling a little bit
'cause nobody's not paying no property taxes
because we can't afford property taxes.
'cause y'all keep raising them
so y'all can keep stealing the tiff money that's supposed
to go into our communities, blighted areas, you know.
But, um, bro, uh, I know you running for Congress.
I know Pilsen told me that they're very upset with you
because, uh, by Cja Lopez, you voted in 2022
to extend the Pilsen Tiff,
which generates $35 million a year.
Instead of using that money for local improvements,
they said you tried to expand the tiff
across the whole neighborhood.
I remember when them buses was coming down here
and yellow school buses,
even though the community opposed it and other elder
and all the aldermen wouldn't support it,
that money froze the TIF funds.
And then Mayor Johnson then took 125 million from Pilsen
to cover a city budget gap.
Of course, the result, no local projects got funded.
So they basically saying
that you're hurting the community now.
So what makes you think that you are fit
to run for Congress?
Um, so we're not definitely voting for you Lupe Castio.
That's who's running as a Republican in, uh, for
that district against Patty Garcia and him.
So we're gonna go with, uh, Lupe, uh, Chicago flips red.
Uh, that's on our, um, website, flips red.com. Thank you.
Thank you. This concludes the in-person public comment.
The committee also received 23 written comments, uh, 12
regarding item number one and 11 regarding item number two.
Written comments were emailed
and included in your packets today
for, uh, committee members.
Thank you again. And this concludes our
public comment portion.
Uh, first order of business is the Rule 45 report from
January 14th, 2026, which was email
and handed out to committee members.
Can I get a motion to approve of this item?
Um, so moved by Alder Alder. All those in favor say aye.
Aye. All those opposed a nay.
And depending on the chair, their ayes have it.
The Rule 45 report has been approved.
Now we'll move on, on to the items before the committee.
Item number one, ordinance 20 25 0 0 19 9 9 1
is establishment of proactive rental Inspection Working
group and this item will be held in committee.
Uh, the lead sponsor, uh, Alder,
president Rosana Rodriguez Sanchez, uh, was sick today,
so she's asked us to hold this item,
but if any committee members is in,
are interested in joining this working group
or have any questions, please reach out to the committee.
We'll be happy to follow up
and continue, um, discussions on this item for next time.
Item number two is Ordinance 20 26 0 0 2 2 5 1 4.
Sale of city owned property at 10 14 South California Avenue
to the in Good company, Chicago, NFP in the 28th Ward.
Uh, Meg Gustafson from the Department of Planning
and Development is here
to testify on behalf of this ordinance.
Thank you. Meg. Floor is all yours. Great.
Uh, thank you for the record.
Meg Gustafson, department of Planning and Development.
Um, this is a shy block builder land sale.
It is for, um, the urban agriculture category.
Um, it's at 10 14 South California.
Uh, it's the land sale is
to a nonprofit called In Good Company Chicago.
It's for one pin, it's approximately 50 by one 20 um, feet.
So five thou about 6,000 square feet.
Um, we have been working with Alderman Irvin
and he's in support of this land sale.
Um, the market value of this parcel is $23,000.
Um, under the urban ag, um,
category type on chai block builder, we propose the sale
for $1 per parcel.
So it's one parcel for $1. Next slide.
Uh, here's the zoning map.
The, um, red pin is
where the property's located on the orange hatch.
It's just south of the Alton.
He line on California, uh, near Roosevelt.
Uh, here is a context photo.
And next is the, um, draft landscape plan.
Um, not only is this urban agriculture,
but there will be a plaza
and a play area, um, for people working
and, uh, volunteering, uh, in this garden.
Uh, we are currently working
with the applicant right now on environmental cleanup.
There will be a phase one
and phase two, um, environmental
investigation starting next month.
So once we get the results back from that,
this site plan might change a little bit depending on
what the remediation, um, calls for.
Um, and if you go to the next slide, uh, you can see
that we've, uh, the applicant has, um, funding for and,
and is applying for grants for the cleanup, depending on
what needs to be done.
Uh, we'll have that in about a month.
So the total project cost right now is estimated about
$150,000.
Um, these will follow best practices, uh, raised beds, uh,
for the, for the growing.
Um, and then a plaza and a fence, uh, will also be included.
And I believe that's my last slide.
Um, I also have Melissa Ortiz here
to answer any detailed questions about community partners
and, um, the plan.
Yes, I'll take any questions now. Thanks.
Are there any questions? Alderman? Uh, BGAs.
Thank you. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Thank you for the presentation. Um, I was just curious.
I saw on the, uh, photo that there's a rail line that's
behind the fci.
Is that rail line active? It
Is currently still active.
The Department of Planning's been looking at it
as a possible rail to trail in the, in the future,
but at this time the Alton hind line is not vacant.
Who, who owns that rail? I'm just curious.
CRXI believe B-S-X-C-S-X. I mean. Gotcha.
Thank. Okay, cool. Thank you.
Sounds like an exciting project.
Um, looking forward to supporting good luck.
Um, with a not-for-profit.
Thank you. Any other questions?
Meets So UBA al meets, uh, all those in favor? Aye.
All those opposed nay in the opinion of the chair?
The aye have it. Congratulations to the 28th award
and in good company Chicago for this, uh,
important, uh, project.
Um, the DPA recommendation
of this ordinance will be reported out at the next city
council meeting on February 18th, 2026.
There not being any further business in this committee.
Um, can I get a motion to adjourn? So move Mitchell.
All those in favor say aye.
All the opposed nay in the
as have the meeting on committee on house
state is officially adjourned.
Thank you so much. Have a great day.