Will Chicago allow more ‘granny flats’? Alders to take up controversial issue
Will Chicago allow more ?granny flats?? Alders to take up controversial issue
Chicago alders will consider allowing more accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to provide more affordable housing.
CHICAGO - Alderpeople will again consider expanding the ability to convert coach houses, garden apartments, or attics into affordable housing units this week.
Supporters of the plan argue that accessory dwelling units (ADUs) could be key to expanding affordable housing options throughout the city at a time of rising home prices.
But critics fear that a proliferation of such units could cause overcrowding and change the face of certain communities.
On Tuesday, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th Ward) confirmed that a proposed ordinance to expand the existing ADU pilot program citywide passed the Zoning Committee and that he looks forward to a vote from the full City Council.
"I’m proud that my ordinance to build upon the successes of the Additional Dwelling Units pilot by making it permanent and expanding it across the City passed out of the Zoning Committee today. Since I introduced this ordinance on my first day in City Council more than two years ago, I’ve advocated for this legislation because it will give homeowners new tools to build equity and support their families, while helping us address Chicago’s housing shortage in a smart, sustainable way that supports multigenerational and flexible living. I’m grateful for the partnership with the Mayor and his team, as well as my City Council colleagues, that resulted in this ordinance today, and I look forward to seeing it pass the full Council."
Here’s what to know before the City Council takes up the issue.
What are ADUs?
The backstory:
Accessory dwelling units, or additional dwelling units, can be attics, basements, or accessory buildings used as housing, typically rented out by the property owner.
ADUs are also known as coach houses, backyard houses, in-law apartments, or granny flats.
The city banned the construction of ADUs in 1957 due to changes in the zoning code that added parking requirements and banned secondary residential structures in city lots, according to the city website.
Then, in 2020, the City Council voted to allow ADUs in attics, basements, and accessory buildings. The number of ADUs allowed depends on the number of existing legal units on a property. The expansion of ADUs is also limited to five designated areas in the city.
What is being proposed?
What we know:
Lawson’s proposal seeks to eliminate the geographic restrictions on ADUs and allow expansion in a "broad range of neighborhoods," according to a summary of the proposal.
The proposed ordinance change also puts forth other changes to make ADU construction or conversion easier:
- Allows for property owners to build both conversion units and a coach house on the same property, with space limitations for coach houses.
- Allows property owners who want to build a coach house to request a waiver for parking requirements to allow for the reduction or elimination of parking spaces.
- Eliminates the cap on the size and number of coach houses on a property.
- Retains the existing requirement that properties with two or more units offer at least one of the units at an affordable rate.
Paris on Politics: Will the city allow 'granny flats' & nepotism in Chicago politics?
On this episode of "Paris on Politics": Israel, Iran, Ukraine, Russia—the world is on fire, and a Chicago think tank aims to come up with answers. Then, UChicago is hosting experts and award winners to discuss preventing nuclear war. Next, will the city allow owners to convert coach houses and attics into affordable housing? We debate a proposal on the so-called granny flats. Plus, why City Council's longest-tenured alderman, Walter Burnett, is stepping down, and the familiar name who wants to replace him. FOX 32's Paris Schutz has the latest on politics in Chicago, the state of Illinois, and across the nation.
Why do supporters want to allow more ADUs?
Local perspective:
Supporters of the proposal argue that providing for the expansion of ADUs is key to increasing the city’s housing supply.
The city is estimated to be about 120,000 affordable housing units short of its current needs, according to the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University. Mayor Brandon Johnson cited the figure during a news conference last week when asked about his support for the proposal.
"We put forth an amendment to see to it that the city as a whole is responding to the housing crisis," Johnson said. "That’s the expectation that I have. That’s the desire that I have, and, quite frankly, I believe that’s the desire of most Chicagoans."
Lawson’s office also argued that more ADUs improve accessibility by allowing ground-level coach houses for elderly residents or those with disabilities.
Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) also voiced support for the proposal in an interview with Fox 32’s Paris Schutz.
"We have a housing shortage, and historically in a city like Chicago, additional dwelling units have been utilized to house family members, friends," Fuentes said. "They have also been utilized to be the more affordable units that residents in the city can rent."
What are critics saying?
The other side:
Critics of the plan say an expansion of ADUs could change the face of some neighborhoods traditionally filled with single-family homes.
Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward) has been a vocal critic of the proposal. He told Fox 32 that the ordinance change represents an "all-out attack" on the city's bungalow belt.
"I’m sounding the alarm that this is bad policy for the long-term stability of Chicago and the uniqueness of each and every neighborhood," Quinn said.
The alderman argued that Johnson is "focused way too much" on rental housing and should encourage more homeownership to build generational wealth.
Quinn said he would favor allowing individual aldermen to have more control over allowing ADUs in their own wards, what he called "aldermanic oversight." He also argued for "community input," citing an instance in which thousands of his constituents signed a petition to ban Airbnbs in the ward. But the existing proposal, he said, doesn't allow for aldermanic oversight or community input, which is why he opposes it.
But council members like Fuentes said such aldermanic discretion would leave in place an "imbalance of housing options across the city."
Fuentes did say that the proposed change would require property owners in certain areas zoned for residential buildings to get a special use permit to build an ADU. Lawson's office said the requirement "respects the character of single-family home neighborhoods while still enabling ADU development where appropriate."
Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) made similar criticisms of the proposal and said he supports the ability of creating housing in "areas that want it."
"I will not support this model being forced on all communities, especially over the objections of the local residents or alderman," he wrote on Facebook.
The debate
What's next:
With the measure approved by the Zoning Committee on Tuesday, the proposal will likely go up for a vote at the full City Council meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday.