CHA response to press conference at Dearborn Homes

CHA values our residents and we take their concerns seriously. We are committed to addressing any issues that are reported in a timely manner. That’s why it is important for our senior leadership (including our CEO) to regularly walk through our sites and meet directly with resident leadership - as they did again at Dearborn Homes on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

For context, Dearborn Homes was constructed in the late 1940s and there is only one elevator in each of the buildings on the campus, which were originally designed with fewer floors. Modernizing an existing elevator requires it to be taken offline for a period of months. This creates challenges when there’s only one elevator per building. CHA has committed to adding a second elevator to each building on the campus, so that the original elevators can be updated and all residents will have access to two working elevators. This will minimize the inconvenience when an elevator goes down and improve the quality of life for all residents. This is a major project estimated at $40 million. It is included in CHA’s five-year capital plan, with design and planning scheduled to begin this year. In the meantime, CHA’s contracted elevator companies provide maintenance and repair services.

During the walkthrough on Tuesday we did note the issues around the trash compactors and have committed to fixing them as soon as possible.

Other significant investments at Dearborn that are ongoing or have been completed recently:

• We are installing new doors on all buildings to improve security and reduce vandalism – this is directly in response to concerns we heard from residents.
   
• The basketball courts at the site were improved earlier this year (new rims, backboards and resurfacing).
   
• CHA has a JobsPlus grant that directly supports Dearborn Homes residents with benefits that include employment, education and financial services.
   
• The new ComEd microgrid (which just turned on earlier this summer) includes solar panels on the roofs of all the buildings on the campus and will improve resiliency for the site in the event of a power outage.
   
• A three-year process of replacing the hot water plants on the campus was completed in late 2023.
   
• Many of the units at the site have been renovated within the last 10 years.