Committee on Housing and Real Estate meeting, April 8, 2026
- When: Wed, Apr 8, 2026, 12:30 PM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Housing and Real Estate
- Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8928563?video=1173389738
- Transcript: full text (19,271 words, automatic captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Housing and Real Estate considered 14 agenda items after hearing four public commenters. It approved the March Rule 45 report, held an ordinance requiring an annual report on homelessness and affordable housing until May, and held item five at the sponsor's request. Over Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor recorded no vote, it recommended a lease renewal with 8700 Building LLC for a DFSS community service center, after Taylor and others raised concerns about city spending on leased space while city-owned buildings sit vacant. It recommended a substitute ordinance clarifying that landlords may not file eviction cases before the Fair Notice Ordinance notice period ends, with Alderpersons Quinn, Dowell and Scott recorded as no after members asked about landlord input. The committee also recommended a low affordability community designation for an area of the former Lincoln Yards site in the 32nd Ward and nine sales of city-owned land through ChiBlockBuilder, including an urban farm, community open space, a dog daycare play area, a community garden and several housing developments.
Topics: city leases, Fair Notice Ordinance, evictions, low affordability community designation, affordable housing, city land sales, urban agriculture, ChiBlockBuilder, condominium development, public comment
Agenda items discussed
- 14:35 Public comment: discussed
- 26:05 Rule 45 report from March 12, 2026: passed
- 26:30 Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 2-4 regarding annual report on homelessness and affordable housing: held
- 26:55 First amendment to lease agreement with 8700 Building LLC for property at 8650 South Commercial Avenue: passed
- 41:39 Substitute ordinance amending Section 5-12-130 on notice requirements for rental agreement termination (Fair Notice Ordinance clarification): passed
- 1:11:05 Designation of areas along West Cortland Street and surrounding streets as a low affordability community in the 32nd Ward: passed
- 1:25:05 Item five: held
- 1:25:14 Sale of city-owned property at 6820-6824 South Lowe Avenue to Eden Greens Urban Farm (6th Ward): passed
- 1:33:48 Sale of city-owned property at 1551-1555 South Homan Avenue to Men Making a Difference (24th Ward): passed
- 1:42:20 Sale of city-owned property at 317 South California Avenue to Trisha M. Ingle (27th Ward): passed
- 1:46:05 Sale of city-owned property at 10632 South Eggleston Avenue to Courtney Lewis (21st Ward): passed
- 1:49:05 Sale of city-owned property on South Loomis Street and South Glenroad Avenue to Far South CDC (21st Ward): passed
- 2:01:06 Sale of city-owned property at 4451 South Vincennes Avenue (3rd Ward): passed
- 2:08:06 Sale of city-owned property at 1501 East 69th Place to Intensify Urban Development (5th Ward): passed
- 2:14:39 Sale of city-owned property at 1469 East 69th Place to Intensify Urban Development (5th Ward): passed
- 2:20:32 Substitute ordinance for sale of city-owned property at 346 East 56th Street to Jack Properties LLC: passed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Byron Sigcho-López (chair): Responded to concerns about leases by offering to review the list of leased buildings with members to see what could be consolidated to save money. (34:12); Said the committee would look into a year-by-year analysis of lease spending. (40:41); Said facilities of other agencies connected to the city, such as CPS, could be discussed as an option for savings. (41:05)
- Jeanette B. Taylor (alderperson): Asked who owns the LLC leasing the building to the city. (29:32); Said paying lease costs since 2011 for a building the city does not own makes no sense given vacant schools and a budget deficit, and said she would vote no on such leases until owned buildings are reviewed. (30:17); Asked what the city pays for janitorial costs and why the lease term is five years. (31:43)
- Emma Mitts (alderperson): Asked for a better picture of the leased building and where the grant funding for the lease comes from. (34:27); Said she would like to see support from landlords and tenant organizations before moving forward, so the ordinance treats both sides fairly. (1:04:42); Said landlords may not be informed of the change and have money at stake, and urged talking with both sides. (1:06:39)
- Gregory I. Mitchell (alderperson): Agreed with Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor that vacant schools could be used to house city departments in neighborhoods. (37:14); Asked the Far South CDC president why the project uses three-flats rather than two-flats and how that affects the city subsidy. (1:58:14)
- Gilbert Villegas (alderperson): Asked whether the committee is considering CPS-owned property in the discussion of city facilities. (40:51); Asked whether a lease's own terms count as notice to vacate and where the 30, 60 and 120 day notice periods came from. (59:18); Said the language appears to make sense. (1:02:51)
- Anthony J. Quezada (alderperson): Explained that the ordinance clarifies the original intent of the 2020 Fair Notice Ordinance after judges allowed eviction filings before the notice period ended, without creating new tenant rights or affecting for-cause evictions. (43:08); Said the change would be communicated through city channels, tenant legal organizations and ward workshops. (57:59); Said his office had not consulted landlord or realtor organizations. (1:03:49)
- Marty Quinn (alderperson): Asked what recourse a landlord has if a tenant stops paying rent during the notice period. (51:44); Raised a concern about owner-occupied two-flats and whether the change could incentivize nonpayment. (52:32)
- David H. Moore (alderperson): Confirmed that nonpayment is a for-cause eviction and that the ordinance concerns evictions not for cause. (54:12)
- Angela Clay (alderperson): Asked what insufficient or defective notice would look like. (54:51); Asked how landlords and tenants would be educated about the change. (57:16); Expressed support, saying the amendment addresses tenants excluded from housing due to an unclear technicality. (58:37)
- Pat Dowell (alderperson): Said she would like to hear landlords' perspective and was not prepared to vote in favor until hearing from both sides. (1:07:42); Asked for the breakdown of affordable units by area median income levels in the low affordability community project. (1:22:29); Asked directly whether the site will include units at 30% of area median income. (1:23:23)
- Scott Waguespack (alderperson): Explained that the low affordability community designation would let the developer use the Cook County Assessor's special assessment program to build affordable units on site at the former Lincoln Yards site. (1:12:17); Offered to provide the chair a copy of the state bill that created the program. (1:21:43)
- Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (alderperson): Asked to confirm that the low affordability community designation requires a project labor agreement. (1:21:59); Asked who the project architect is. (1:24:31)
- Monique L. Scott (alderperson): Spoke in support of Men Making a Difference, describing its violence reduction, food programs and restorative justice work in North Lawndale. (1:40:03)
Exchanges between members
- 34:12 The chair thanked Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor and offered to review the lease list with her.
- 37:14 Alderperson Gregory I. Mitchell said he agreed with Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor about using vacant schools.
- 40:49 The chair thanked Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor after her remarks on lease spending.
- 40:51 Alderperson Gilbert Villegas, referencing his colleague from the 20th Ward, asked the chair whether CPS property was being considered.
- 54:12 Alderperson David H. Moore thanked Alderperson Marty Quinn, saying his questions addressed Moore's own.
- 57:59 Alderperson Anthony J. Quezada answered Alderperson Angela Clay question about educating landlords and tenants.
- 58:37 Alderperson Angela Clay thanked Alderperson Anthony J. Quezada and congratulated him on the amendment.
- 1:06:04 Alderperson Anthony J. Quezada responded to Alderperson Emma Mitts request for landlord input.
- 1:06:39 Alderperson Emma Mitts asked Alderperson Anthony J. Quezada about landlords not being informed of the change.
- 1:07:42 Alderperson Pat Dowell said she wanted to underscore what Alderperson Emma Mitts said about hearing from landlords.
- 1:21:43 Alderperson Scott Waguespack offered the chair a copy of the related state bill.
- 1:21:53 The chair thanked Alderperson Scott Waguespack.
- 1:22:29 Alderperson Pat Dowell asked Alderperson Scott Waguespack about the breakdown of affordable units by income level.
- 1:29:29 Alderperson Pat Dowell told the chair she had her hand up, and the chair apologized and recognized her.
- 1:39:58 The chair asked Alderperson Monique L. Scott if she had anything to add on the Homan Avenue sale.
- 2:00:46 The chair thanked Vice Chair Gregory I. Mitchell after his questions.
- 2:06:13 Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor asked Alderperson Pat Dowell where the Vincennes site is relative to a nearby home.
- 2:06:21 Alderperson Pat Dowell described the site's location to Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor.
- 2:06:56 The chair asked Alderperson Pat Dowell if she had anything else on the Vincennes sale.