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City mulls stricter rules for developers who renovate senior housing complexes
Firms would have to take a number of new steps when moving seniors to overhaul their buildings
Developers making renovations to affordable senior housing buildings in the city would be subject to a stricter rules if they need to move residents to do the work.
The City Council is considering a measure that would apply to projects that receive city funding and have at least 24 units, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The new rules would require developers to submit a public relocation plan to the city before launching any repairs, hold a meeting with tenants four months in advance of the renovations, give residents an exact moving date at least a month in advance and designate a “relocation coordinator” to help residents.
Developers will also be required to provide free moving assistance to each resident and to reimburse them for all utility transfer fees.
The Chicagoland Apartment Association, a trade group for landlords, opposed the plan, calling it vague and impractical. But a City Council committee approved the changes this week, and the full council is set to consider the measure next week.
The administration of outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel has launched a number of initiatives in the last year aimed especially at affordable housing, including resurrecting a citywide housing department to oversee all of them. [Chicago Sun-Times] — John O’Brien