One Chicago organization is working to promote the rehabilitation and maintenance of naturally occurring affordable housing, a valuable—and vulnerable—source of affordable housing units.

Hadassah Patterson, writing in Next City, reminds the reader that new construction only makes up roughly one quarter of the affordable housing market. “The rest is comprised of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing, or NOAH, which falls between subsidized housing and high-rent buildings.” The city of Chicago, Patterson writes, lost 10 percent of its NOAH between 2012 and 2019, putting this reliable source of affordable housing in peril.
“One Chicago CDFI [community development financial institution] has been working to preserve that housing for decades. Called Community Investment Corporation (CCI), they have a wide range of programs, including their Troubled Building Initiative, to support the acquisition, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable rental housing.” That initiative, which dates back 20 years,
“is aimed at unresponsive landlords. Instead of the city of Chicago filing code violations, TBI pulls together multiple city departments including housing, police and building, to identify at-risk structures and appoint CIC as a stakeholder to make repairs.”
“CIC also brings together multiple organizations to collaborate on strategies, policies and programs to preserve affordable housing through its Preservation Compact. Preservation Compact is home to a $48 million acquisition pool for 1-4 unit buildings, and a $34 million low-cost financing fund for affordability in higher-cost markets.” The group advocated for tax relief for multifamily housing projects, “which incentivizes low- to moderate-income owners to improve buildings while keeping them affordable. This is critical to preserving more locally-owned NOAH stock as national markets face speculation from aggressive investment groups without stake in community stability. ”
FULL STORY: When Preserving Affordable Housing Is Cheaper Than Building It

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Lakewood Celebrates Arbor Day and Strengthens Urban Forestry Legacy
Lakewood celebrated Arbor Day and its 43rd year as a Tree City USA community with a youth-led tree planting event at O’Kane Park, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to urban forestry and environmental education.

NYC Congestion Pricing Continues to Show Positive Results
While the Trump administration attempts to revoke the program’s federal approval, congestion pricing continues to reduce traffic, speed up bus travel times, and improve air quality in Manhattan.

Grassroots Dutch Movement Replaces Pavement With Green Space
Neighbors engage in a practice known as “tegelwippen,” picking up paving stones and replacing them with permeable surfaces, often with the support of local governments.
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