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Spring 2008 Newsletter

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MEETING WITH ALDERMAN TOM TUNNEY

LAC had a membership meeting with Alderman Tunney to discuss ways that we can better partner on our main issues:

*Homeless Youth and Police Relations
*The Preservation and Creation of Affordable Housing
*Accessible and Affordable Health Care

The meeting took place on
 September 24, 2007 at
Lakeview Lutheran Church
835 West Addison

On September 24, Alderman Tunney agreed to work with us on the following issues:

Issue Background Information

Homeless Youth and Police Relations

 For several years, LAC leaders have been working to gain accountability for police misconduct in the 23rd and 19th police districts.  For years, many LAC member institutions have heard about incidents of police harassment and abuse from homeless and at risk youth in the community.  Recently, due to several high profile incidents of police misconduct in Chicago, the head of the Office of Professional Standards (OPS), which polices the police, was removed, as was the police superintendent.  The Mayor began moves to re-vamp OPS.  In late June, LAC leaders contacted our four local aldermen asking that they support strengthening amendments to the Mayor’s OPS re-vamp.  While the Mayor’s OPS reform bill passed without significant improvements, several aldermen citywide are working to implement more reforms. 

Locally, LAC has built a network of Youth Allies - congregations, non-profits, businesses and officials committed to work for the homeless and at-risk youth in the community.  Alderman Tunney is a Youth Ally.  This summer, there have been many discussion about the perceived problem of youth hanging out on Halsted Street.  One of the more productive discussions occurred at the Center on Halsted in late August, in large part because youth were present.  It is lAC’s strong belief that none of these discussions should happen without youth or their representatives present. 

Affordable Housing Preservation and Creation

 The Diplomat Hotel is a 99 room single room occupancy (SRO) building in the heart of Lakeview.  It is privately owned, and houses individuals who otherwise would probably be homeless.  The owner has recently put the building on the market, and LAC leaders have been working diligently, with the help of Alderman Tunney, to ensure that the building is re-developed as an affordable SRO, run by a non-profit that will offer social services to the tenants.  Most proposed developments, including new condos, would need the Alderman to support a zoning change. 

The Britton/Bud Apartments at 501 W. Surf was an 173 unit affordable senior building where there were all types of seniors living together:  Russian, African-American and Latino, Christian, Jewish and Muslim.  In the summer of 2005, residents received a letter from the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) that the Britton/Bud Apartments would be renovated and that all tenants would have to relocate during the renovation.  The Jane Addams Senior Caucus and the tenants of the Britton/Bud Apartments worked together with Alderman Tom Tunney to receive the following commitment from the Chicago Housing Authority:  The CHA would rehabilitate the building as affordable housing for low-income seniors and honor the resident’s relocating rights, including the right to return and provide the necessary assistance to do so.  Two years later, the renovation has not begun and the building remains empty. 

 Belmont Tower Apartments, located at 510 W. Belmont, is a 288-unit Project-Based Section 8 apartment complex.  Project-Based Section 8 is a federal program that subsidizes privately-owned units, built in part with government funding, so units are affordable to low- and moderate-income families and individuals.   Tenants pay 30% of their income towards rent.   This subsidy has been available for almost forty years at Belmont Tower, and the mortgage with HUD is about to expire in 2010.  Tenants are currently organizing to make sure that their building, which is at-risk of conversion to market rate units or condos, remains affordable after the expiration of the contract.

 The Expansion of the Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) was put forth by Mayor Daley last October and passed by the City Council on May 14, 2007.  This was the Mayor’s response to the six year fight by the Balanced Development Coalition, of which LAC is a founding member, for an affordable housing set aside. The ARO calls for developers of certain development to “set aside” some moderately affordable units. Before the City Council passed this set aside, Alderman Tunney was making any developer who needed his assistance (like a zoning change) provide some affordable units, so LAC now believes that, in the 44th ward, we can do better than the new ARO.  LAC leaders plan to work with the Alderman to assist developers so they are able to provide more moderately priced units, and at lower prices.   

Accessible Healthcare

 The LAC Healthcare Task Force has been surveying low income and/or un-insured residents of the community to determine how they are accessing healthcare and where gaps exist. The Cook County cuts to the public healthcare system have had an impact on Lakeview residents, and LAC is investigating ways to work on that issue.  In addition to this, for years we have heard stories of local low income residents having difficulty accessing “Charity Care” at local non-profit hospitals, like Advocate Illinois Masonic and St. Joseph’s Hospital.  “Charity Care’ is free or reduced price care for income eligible people that non-profit hospitals must offer in return for their tax breaks.  Anecdotally is it evident that there are many barriers in place within the hospitals that make it difficult for people to find out about charity care; and even if eligible patients apply for charity care, they often still get bills.  This is an issue that many levels of government recognizes and has acted on, including the Cook County Board, the State Attorney General and Legislature, and the Federal Government.