# Committee on Housing and Real Estate meeting, April 10, 2024

- When: Wed, Apr 10, 2024, 12:00 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](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/committee/housing-and-real-estate)
- Video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/932973615
- Transcript: [full text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/932973615.txt) (13,869 words, official 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 heard seven public commenters, several of whom described personal housing, eviction and property disputes and criticized city officials, and the chair warned speakers about language. The committee approved its Rule 45 report and recommended a five-year lease extension of the city-owned building at 1240 South Damen Avenue to the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center, a market-rate sale of a city lot at 4741 South Indiana Avenue to JD Housing LLC, a low-affordability community designation along Milwaukee Avenue in the 1st Ward, a substitute resolution calling for regular subject matter hearings with the Chicago Housing Authority, and a substitute ordinance creating a veteran preference for affordable units under the Affordable Requirements Ordinance. At the end of the meeting the chair apologized to Alderperson Anthony Beale for delays on his ordinance transferring about 34 lots, and Alderperson Anthony Beale said he had filed a Rule 41 motion to bring it to the full council.

Topics: Children's Advocacy Center lease, city land sale, low-affordability community designation, CHA hearings, veteran housing preference, Affordable Requirements Ordinance, ChiBlockBuilder lots, public comment

### Agenda items discussed

- [14:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=870) Public comment: discussed
- [41:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=2469) Approval of the Rule 45 report for March 13, 2024: passed
- [41:29](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=2489) Lease extension of 1240 South Damen Avenue to the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center: passed
- [59:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=3550) Sale of city-owned property at 4741 South Indiana Avenue to JD Housing LLC: passed
- [1:05:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=3951) Designation of North Milwaukee Avenue in the 1st Ward as a low-affordability community (O2024-0008244): passed
- [1:08:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4113) Substitute resolution calling for subject matter hearings with the Chicago Housing Authority: passed
- [1:13:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4404) Substitute ordinance amending section 2-44-085 to create a veteran preference for affordable units under the Affordable Requirements Ordinance: passed
- [1:21:56](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4916) Status of an aldermanic ordinance transferring about 34 lots in the 9th Ward (not on the agenda): discussed

### Alderpersons who spoke

- [Jason C. Ervin](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/28) (alderperson): Urged members to visit the Children's Advocacy Center, praised its work with traumatized children, and noted it needs more space and resources. ([52:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=3162))
- [Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/48) (alderperson): Mentioned a recent domestic violence incident in her ward and asked why the Children's Advocacy Center is running out of space. ([56:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=3396))
- [Pat Dowell](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/3) (alderperson): Asked how many units each building at 4741 South Indiana would have and confirmed they are rental units. ([1:04:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=3855)); Asked colleagues to support the land sale, saying market-rate housing complements public and affordable housing in the Third Ward. ([1:04:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=3877)); Asked that the CHA provide a list of scattered site addresses and a summary of its waiting list before the hearing. ([1:11:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4266))
- [Daniel La Spata](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/1) (alderperson): Explained the low-affordability designation for Milwaukee Avenue from Western to California would let developers access deeper Cook County assessor affordability incentives. ([1:06:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=3975))
- [Gregory I. Mitchell](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/7) (alderperson): Asked that the CHA be ready to give concrete timelines for scattered site rehabs, saying he has not seen permits or contractor information for promised projects. ([1:11:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4314))
- [Gilbert Villegas](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/36) (alderperson): Supported the CHA hearings, noting he grew up in CHA housing. ([1:10:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4221)); Presented the veteran preference ordinance requiring developers to market and reserve a share of affordable units for veterans for a period, citing veterans' housing struggles. ([1:15:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4515))
- [Walter R. Burnett](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/27) (alderperson): Commended Alderperson Gilbert Villegas and the departments on the veteran preference ordinance and said he supports it fully. ([1:20:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4833))
- [Anthony Beale](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/9) (alderperson): Said his lots had been in the system since the prior February, that he was told his ordinance would be heard, and that he filed a Rule 41 motion to bring it to the full council. ([1:24:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=5043))

### Exchanges between members

- [1:20:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6?t=4836) Alderperson Walter R. Burnett commended Alderperson Gilbert Villegas for the veteran preference ordinance.

## Documents

- [Agenda](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/ce320d53-c065-4f95-97cc-03aec377ffee.pdf)
- [Notice](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/028f4fa2-88b2-423d-bbae-793f5b5405a9.pdf)
- [Summary](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/141b3687-1700-4a48-882b-2ba0f58a636c.pdf)

---
Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/BB77EC38-61EC-EE11-904C-001DD80685D6 · Chicago Politics, an independent, nonpartisan tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt