What will the “next iconic Chicago home” look like?

A task force is seeking design proposals with the stipulation that construction costs must be under $150 per square foot

Related Midwest and Freddie Mac are among the sponsors of an open call to find a new version of the classic Chicago bungalow that can sell for under $250,000 all across the city.

On. Nov. 15, a task force of housing and architecture groups including the non-profit Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago will open the Disruptive Design contest in hopes of finding the “next iconic Chicago home,” according to Crain’s.

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The competition will seek design pitches for an accessible, environmentally sustainable single-family home that would “accommodate a wealth-building component” with construction costs under $150 per square foot, according to the contest materials.

After the contest’s Jan. 31, deadline, judges will narrow the field to five entries, then pick one or two winners in late 2019. The first two homes would be built by 2020 on vacant lots in Bronzeville and West Humboldt Park.

This summer, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that he would resurrect the city’s defunct Department of Housing ahead of the city’s next Five Year Housing Plan. At the same time, he proposed new policies like eased parking mandates along bus routes and free loans for affordable housing developers.  [Crain’s] — Alex Nitkin

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