[remote or in person] Committee on Housing and Real Estate

Chicago City Council

Housing

Politics

Wednesday, May 8, 2024
1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. CDT

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121 N LaSalle St Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)

City Hall, 2nd floor, Council Chambers

You have the option of documenting this meeting in person or remotely.

If you choose to attend in person, an additional hour will be added to your total assignment hours. You may be asked to provide government-issued photo ID and to go through a metal detector.

If you choose to document remotely, the meeting will be live-streamed at https://www.chicityclerk.com/.

At this link, scroll down to “Meeting Notices.” Look for “Watch now” and click on the link with the meeting title to go to a livestream page.

If you don’t see a link for the meeting, you may be early or the meeting may be starting late. Wait a few moments and try refreshing your Internet tab.

The end time listed on this assignment is an estimation based on the duration of past meetings of this type.

Other notes and pre-research resources

Meeting details page: https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Meeting?meetingId=0B215802-C2FD-EE11-A1FE-001DD809669D This meeting will include a hearing with Chicago Housing Authority CEO Tracey Scott about why so many public housing units are sitting empty. For more context, see this Block Club Chicago article and the legislation page (SR2024-0006982).
Be sure to check the “attachments” tab for the meeting agenda and other documents. You can access more information about items on the agenda at https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/. You can search keywords or click the “Show more filters” button and enter the legislation number (i.e. [O as in Ordinance][year introduced]-####, [R as in Resolution][year introduced]-####).
Chicago Councilmatic: This civic data org’s website has a lot of the information that can be found on the city’s database in a more user-friendly format, with info on this committee, plus headshots of members

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Maggie Macpherson

Chicago Housing Authority scattered site vacancies, Chicago Fire training facility

View notes

Live reporting by Rebecca Pritchard

Vacant scattered site public housing, Waiting lists

Rebecca @attypritchard

Gooood afternoon Chicago! I’ll be live-tweeting today's Committee on Housing and Real Estate meeting for #CHIdocumenters @CHIdocumenters

12:47 PM May 8, 2024 CDT

Rebecca @attypritchard 2/46

The meeting starts at 1. You can watch remotely here:

chicityclerk.com

Rebecca @attypritchard 3/46

The agenda is here:

…storagev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattachm…

Rebecca @attypritchard 4/46

Today's meeting will include the Bi-Annual CHA hearing. Tracey Scott, CEO of CHA, is set to testify. Read more from @BlockClubCHI here:

blockclubchicago.org/2024/04/19/aft…

Rebecca @attypritchard 5/46

The broadcast has started:

chicityclerk.com/committee-hous…

Rebecca @attypritchard 6/46

The meeting finally started! @SigchoFor25 is calling to start the meeting. It sounds like there were issues with people not wanting the meeting to start. Alder Sigcho-Lopez is issuing a final warning that "anyone trying to disrupt will be removed from the chambers."

Rebecca @attypritchard 7/46

Public comment begins. There are 30 commenters! There have been people waiting since 11 am. CHA residents are given priority.

Rebecca @attypritchard 8/46

Alderman Sigcho Lopez requests for removals for disruptions once again.

Rebecca @attypritchard 9/46

A resident of the 45th Ward refers to certain members of City Council as the "Sposato 16," likening them to the Vrdolyak 29, and admonishing them for blocking attempts toward improving affordability of housing.

Rebecca @attypritchard 10/46

Multiple commenters talk about CHA's negligence toward its properties, mentioning unused acreage, vacant properties, and lack of response to issues at scattered site issues.

Rebecca @attypritchard 11/46

President of Vivian Carter Apartments LAC talks about deaths from elevator malfunctions and brown water from the taps! He calls for a change at the head of CHA.

Rebecca @attypritchard 12/46

A resident of the Dearborn Homes who has mobility issues and is frustrated with the cleanliness, lack of functioning elevators, and needing to stay home for weeks on end and cancel medical appointments as a result.

Rebecca @attypritchard 13/46

Elevators not working specifically in CHA senior buildings is a very common remark among the commenters.

Rebecca @attypritchard 14/46

Another common remark is lack of enforcement of laws that are meant to protect residents and maintain homes. "How can I expect a crook to hold a crook accountable?" says one commenter. Multiple bring up multiple different forms of discrimination including racism and ableism.

Rebecca @attypritchard 15/46

A resident of Mercy Housing, a nonprofit operating some CHA residences, says after a nearby shooting they took the residents' keys away, leaving residents unsafe at the front door. It has been six months without keys!

Rebecca @attypritchard 16/46

Another commenter who was on the CHA wait list for 9 years expresses frustration about the wait list, and the lease of unused CHA owned acres to Chicago Fire instead of using it for housing.

Rebecca @attypritchard 17/46

George Blakemore is being removed.

Rebecca @attypritchard 18/46

Bernadette Williams, President of Altgeld Murray Homes LAC, calls for a new head of CHA. Multiple commenters report that Tracey Scott does not meet with leaders of any of the Local Advisory Councils or the residents.

Rebecca @attypritchard 19/46

Public comment ends after a passionate speech from Mr. Blakemore, who has returned. Now onto the subject matter hearing.

Rebecca @attypritchard 20/46

CEO Scott now makes her presentation. She says CHA under her leadership is addressing historic problems within CHA and that public housing is severely underfunded across the country. The audience is clearly unhappy with her remarks.

Rebecca @attypritchard 21/46

CHA has 247 wait lists specifically for public housing. There are currently 120k applicants on the wait lists. The Housing Choice Voucher wait list is closed and is currently at 22000 people on its wait list.

Rebecca @attypritchard 22/46

Scott puts great effort into showing how much faster work has been done on building new units under her leadership than previous leadership. As far as unused land, for example that around Cabrini Green, she says CHA is looking for developers.

Rebecca @attypritchard 23/46

She also addresses comments about renovating existing units and says renovations are underway. Several buildings have been fully rehabbed, there's an elevator project ongoing, new laundry machines have been installed, etc.

Rebecca @attypritchard 24/46

Addressing customer service concerns, CHA is going to have a new website and will have a call center so that "the phone will actually be picked up."

Rebecca @attypritchard 25/46

Alderman Villegas begins questions and specifically asks about a rumor about CHA taking a portion of the developer fee, which is meant to be an incentive for private developers to build affordable housing.

Rebecca @attypritchard 26/46

CHA has to gather information to provide answers to questions about the development fees, but Scott says it is standard practice for housing authorities to share in development fees because it is on the housing authority's land.

Rebecca @attypritchard 27/46

She says those fees go into "program income" which can be used to develop new housing and "other housing purposes."

Rebecca @attypritchard 28/46

Alderwoman Fuentes tells a story about a woman in her ward whose son lost his hearing because roaches laid eggs in his ears!!! She tells this to emphasize that pests in a home are far more than just a nuisance.

Rebecca @attypritchard 29/46

Alderwoman Fuentes asks about what land dispositions can be expected in the future.

Rebecca @attypritchard 30/46

CEO Scott takes this opportunity to address the Chicago Fire deal and says, in front of homeless people who are on a wait list for public housing in a city that has lost almost 50k units, it directly benefits residents because they pay CHA $1m/yr.

Rebecca @attypritchard 31/46

Alder Fuentes asks how much money CHA has in its reserves. Scott says CHA had money before she came in but they didn't by the time she came around in 2020. They have about a months' worth of reserves right now.

Rebecca @attypritchard 32/46

When asked about mold in units, COO Eric Garrett says the way mold is handled in units varies on types of mold so sometimes it is appropriate to paint over mold. (One commenter mentioned she & her son developed over 20 allergies since moving into poorly maintained CHA property)

Rebecca @attypritchard 33/46

Alderwoman Hadden continues to talk about maintenance and also brings up the residents' fear of retaliation! No question yet.

Rebecca @attypritchard 34/46

Alderwoman Hadden asks about the elevator modernization project and asks about planning ahead for the finicky and expensive nature of maintaining elevators. COO Garrett says elevators will have a 2 year warranty and further maintenance will be in house.

Rebecca @attypritchard 35/46

Hadden also asks about streamlining the 247 wait lists, which is difficult for people to navigate including alders helping their constituents. Scott says these are based on location preferences of applicants, and some have longer lists than others. Hadden says that's not clear.

Rebecca @attypritchard 36/46

The estimated time for some locations is 25 years. 25 years!

Rebecca @attypritchard 37/46

This isn't a new issue, obviously. Famously, Ald. Jeanette Taylor got a letter saying her application was selected from the waitlist after 20 years

blockclubchicago.org/2022/06/03/ald…

Rebecca @attypritchard 38/46

We took a 5 minute recess. We return with Ald. Pat Dowell, who says she wishes we could have these meetings more often, maybe even quarterly.

Rebecca @attypritchard 39/46

Ald. Dowell asks what is preventing addressing rodent abatement and back orders of supplies for housing. COO Garrett says management should never be saying to residents they don't have supplies and those should be arriving within 48 hours of orders being made.

Rebecca @attypritchard 40/46

That being said, Garrett says door replacements are more involved as they are custom made and doors are back-ordered about 6-8 weeks.

Rebecca @attypritchard 41/46

Ald. Dowell asks how CHA is attempting to lower the wait list for the Housing Choice Voucher list. Scott says 98% of vouchers are used and HUD does not issue new vouchers. New vouchers are a result of new construction, Scott says.

Rebecca @attypritchard 42/46

Dowell also asks about her observation of an increase in substance abuse in senior buildings, asking if that's on CHA's radar. Scott says counseling services have been expanded, trauma informed care training is being used for staff, and staff is being expanded as well.

Rebecca @attypritchard 43/46

Dowell next addresses vacant scattered houses and asks for CHA to provide to the committee dates of when those will be completed, as well as what management company will be/is responsible for those buildings.

Rebecca @attypritchard 44/46

Scott now addresses a question about meeting with residents and leadership councils, but Scott says this is the first time she's heard that there was an issue. She says she meets with them all regularly, but that's not what the public comments said.

Rebecca @attypritchard 45/46

Speaking to the elevator situation at Dearborn Homes, Garrett says it should have been built with more elevators and it is in their plan to build another elevator.

Rebecca @attypritchard 46/46

Garrett says ultimately what CHA needs is more funding, more capital funding, particularly from HUD.

View thread

Attachments

Meeting details

By India Daniels 5/1/2024

SR2024-0006982

By India Daniels 5/8/2024

Video recording

By India Daniels 5/8/2024

Agency Information

Chicago City Council

chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov

(312) 744-3166

@ChiCouncil

See Documenters reporting

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

If you attend a meeting in person, be prepared to go through a security checkpoint and show photo ID.

Meetings are also livestreamed at https://www.chicityclerk.com/.

At this link, scroll down to “Meeting Notices.” Look for “Watch now” and click on the link with the meeting title to go to a livestream page. If you don’t see a link for the meeting, you may be early or the meeting may be starting late. Wait a few moments and try refreshing your Internet tab.

Recordings of past City Council meetings may be found here: https://vimeo.com/user100351763/videos/sort:date.

See also: “What to Expect at a Meeting of Chicago’s City Council” via the Better Government Association.