The Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation is a blueprint for positive change. Under the Plan, the CHA will improve the appearance, quality and culture of public housing in Chicago. It is positive change that will reinvent public housing in Chicago. The Plan was developed with input from the CHA’s Central Advisory Council, which consists of elected resident leaders, and the City of Chicago. The Plan was approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in February, 2000.

The Plan represents the largest reconstruction of public housing in the nation’s history. Under the Plan, the CHA seeks to:

• Renew the physical structure of CHA properties
• Promote self-sufficiency for public housing residents
• Reform administration of the CHA

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Physical Renewal

At the heart of the Plan for Transformation is our commitment to change the CHA’s entire housing inventory, which is divided into two categories:

• Family properties
• Senior Housing

Approximately 25,000 units of housing will be built or rehabilitated by the end of 2009. These 25,000 units represent the number of leaseholders that were living in CHA units at the time the plan was put in place. Approximately 6,100 family units are currently scheduled to be redeveloped as new mixed-income housing; approximately 9,500 units reserved for senior citizens and will be rehabilitated. The remaining 9,400 apartments will be either reconstructed or rehabbed.

The most intensive phase of the CHA’s Plan will occur at our family properties, many of which were designed as vast complexes of high-rises. After decades of deterioration, most of these structures were deemed non-viable by HUD and must be demolished by HUD mandate.

Mixed-Income Redevelopment

In replacing the high-rises, the CHA is rebuilding on the same land. In every other way, we’re charting new ground. We are creating new mixed-income communities with contemporary town homes and low-rise buildings, where public housing residents will live in the same neighborhood as people who purchase market rate and affordable homes. Generally, these developments will consist of one-third public housing, one-third affordable housing and one-third market rate homes.

Rehabbed Family Properties

The CHA’s housing inventory also includes several other family properties that are scheduled for a comprehensive rehabilitation under the Plan for Transformation. Both the exterior and interior of these units will be renovated at these locations.

Relocation

Every resident who occupied a CHA unit on October 1, 1999 and continues to comply with the terms of their lease during the rebuilding process is entitled to return to a redeveloped or rehabilitated unit. Many of these residents will need to relocate from their existing apartments on at least a temporary basis to accommodate renewal. The CHA, in conjunction with other city departments and social service organizations, manages this complex relocation process, helping residents choose temporary and permanent replacement housing.

Self-Sufficiency

The CHA’s Plan for Transformation is much more than bricks and mortar. It also attempts to build hope and opportunity for our residents, as well. As part of the Plan, the CHA has formed partnerships with other city agencies to offer residents a wide range of supportive services. These services include employment assistance, substance abuse counseling and guidance relative to becoming and remaining lease compliant.

This self-sufficiency objective is also reflected in the occupancy rules that residents must follow to rent a unit in many of the CHA’s future mixed-income communities. Managers of many of these properties will require all residents – whether they live in public housing or a market rate unit – to pass a drug test, undergo a credit check, obtain employment and meet other standards of self-sufficiency.

Residents who fall out of compliance with these standards are given up to one year to correct any problems and become lease compliant.

Reform

Just as the CHA is asking for more accountability from its residents, we have also instituted reforms to improve our own accountability:

• The CHA has consolidated many of our resources with the City of Chicago to eliminate redundancies and bureaucracy, including our police force and social service capacity
• To change a legacy of mismanagement, the CHA has moved forward with financial reforms that have resulted in four consecutive balanced budgets
• The CHA has engaged in firm oversight of our private property management firms to ensure work orders are completed on time and rent collection is consistent

The CHA’s Plan for Transformation represents a new beginning for public housing in Chicago. It’s an opportunity to change the stigmas of the past, and create a new culture of success and hope. To view a complete copy of the latest edition of the Plan, please click here.

If you have questions about the Plan for Transformation, please contact commentontheplan@thecha.org