April 2007

Question

Alderman Matlak

Scott Waguespack

A recent study by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless found that 21,078 people were homeless on any given night in Chicago. Of these, only 4,654 people (or 22%) were served in shelters.
This is due to a variety of factors including but not limited to lack of affordable housing, lack of living wage jobs, health and supportive services.  Chicago's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness is a partnership between Mayor Daley and the city's homeless service providers, those both publicly and privately funded.
Do you think enough is being done in the 32nd ward to support and provide for people who are homeless?  What do you envision as the ward's role in the City's Plan to End Homelessness, and how do you plan to engage the community to participate?

The plan is a City plan.  Ward needs more affordable housing (like building at Greenview and Belmont), but no land to provide it. 

Not enough is being done in the ward, people being pushed aside.  Aldermen should work with neighborhood and community groups to do outreach to homeless in the ward. 

Large retail stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot have begun opening stores within Chicago’s city limits. The presence of big box stores has hurt small businesses while hourly wages have remained stagnant. The cost of living in Chicago is high and even with the state-wide increase in the minimum wage, current hourly wages do not pay the bills.  Last year, the Big Box Living Wage ordinance fell two votes shy of passing in the City Council.  (the question was slightly different for each candidate)

Why did you decide to support a living wage law that would require mega-retailers like Wal-Mart to pay workers a living wage of at least $10 an hour with basic health benefits?  How can the City of Chicago pass an ordinance that would encourage large retailers to offer a living wage for the working families of Chicago? 

Supported the living wage ordinance.  The ordinance was imperfect, but led to lots of movement on the state and federal level. 

If it is brought before the Council again, as the 32^nd ward alderman, would you support a living wage law that would require mega-retailers like Wal-Mart to pay workers a living wage of at least $10 an hour with basic health benefits?   

Living wage should be at $10 per hour, would work with city and state officials to get it there.  Would work with unions and others to fix constitutional issues with previous big box proposal if it came up again.

SRO apartments and hotels like the Ambers are essential in keeping people from being homeless.  But they are often in poor condition, which is not good for the neighbors or the people living in the building.    What would you do to protect these units while working to improve their condition?

If SRO was threatened, city should buy land, put it in land trust, and build condos affordable to working class. 

He’ll be a vocal advocate for getting the city council to create incentives to preserve and improve this affordable housing.

Mayor Daley’s current affordable housing proposal calls for a 10% set aside for certain developments.  These set asides would be targeted to people at 100% or less of the Area Median Income or AMI, which is about $75,000 per year for a family of four. 

We are calling for two amendments to this proposal.  The first calls for the percentage to be increased to 15% for city land purchases and planned developments, and 20% for properties given density increases or when zoning is switched from non-residential to residential.  The second allows the set asides for families at 80% or less of the AMI.  Do you support the mayor's proposal with those two amendments?

Many aldermen across the city have put in place a ward-wide set-aside policy to create more affordable housing in their communities. 

(the question was slightly different for each candidate)

Supports 15%, maybe support 20%, AMI targeting should be changed for each neighborhood. 

You have not instituted a ward wide affordable housing set aside.  Why not and what are you doing to encourage the development of more affordable housing in the community?

Doesn’t have big developments appropriate for set aside.  Is encouraging 2 flats because more affordable. 

Supports the 15% set aside, needs more info on the 20% set aside, supports the 80% AMI targeting. 

As alderman, would you create such a policy in the 32^nd ward?

Would want to research and discuss ward wide policy with us before committing.  This should be incorporated into a ward wide vision that he will work with neighborhood to develop.  Ward should have sound housing policy to keep working class.

This is a question regarding resources committed to affordable housing in Chicago.  According to the Center on Tax and Budget Accountability, only 16.5% of all the funds spent by the City of Chicago in 2005 on Housing were actual City funds.  The rest was State and Federal money.  In fact, the City of Chicago ranks 22^nd out of the 51 largest US cities for investing local funds in affordable housing and community development. 

The City of Chicago could commit more local resources to dealing with the affordable housing crises in Chicago.  As 32^nd ward alderman would you play a leadership role in securing $250 million a year in city funding for creation and preservation of affordable housing?  

Supports the goal, but needs a funding source. 

Yes.  Funding can come from dealing with current waste and corruption in city. 

Developments on lots like the Peerless Candy lot have a major impact on the community.  How will you include LAC in discussions about these developments, and how will these developments help alleviate the affordable housing crises in the neighborhood? 

People don’t want density.  There will be a public meeting on Peerless and he’ll invite LAC.

Shared vision for the ward must be developed.  He will sit down with community to develop vision for developments, meet with developer and ask them to incorporate that vision in.  Will use leverage of not granting zoning changes unless community vision incorporated. 

The City of Chicago and Cook County are struggling to provide healthcare to low income individuals, and yet we are surrounded by non-profit hospitals that benefit from property tax exemptions and fee waivers, among other things.  How do you think the City of Chicago should hold those hospitals accountable to their mission to provide charity care?

There are moves for accountability, “charity care” needs to be redefined.  Need non-profit hospitals.

There can and should be oversight when City is giving funding or incentives.  City Council should look at what hospitals are being given and what they’re giving back. 

What do you envision as the City Council’s role in creating a system of effective police accountability?

He will look at serious complaints, city settles too many cases, rogue cops need to be dealt with. 

City council should be more active in oversight, not just allow Mayor’s office to oversee.  Could ask for oversight hearings, will be doing that regarding the CTA.

If elected, will you continue to be accessible to LAC? (This question was only asked to Scott Waguespack b/c LAC has experience with Aldermen Matlak)

Alderman Matlak has been accessible to LAC for the last several years.

Yes