Yes. District 1 is experiencing a serious and uneven housing shortage that is putting pressure on families across the Southwest Side. Using data from PolicyMap, District 1 ranges from substantially undersupplied in areas like Central Stickney and Brighton Park to substantially oversupplied in Archer Heights. Other communities including Gage Park, Chicago Lawn, McKinley Park, and Bridgeport show a mix of modest undersupply and modest oversupply, and only two of these neighborhoods have any areas that are currently balanced. This inconsistent pattern makes it harder for families to find stable housing that matches their income, size, and community needs. These local trends reflect and intensify broader statewide and citywide gaps. The Illinois Economic Policy Institute reports that Illinois is short more than 142,000 homes and would need to build over 227,000 units in the next five years just to meet current demand. In Chicago, affordable rental housing for lower income families has dropped by 12.1 percent since 2012, and the city has lost more than 4,800 two to four flat buildings since 2013. These small buildings are the backbone of affordable housing on the Southwest Side, but only 11 percent of the city is zoned for three and four flats. In District 1, the impact is clear. Families are facing rising rents, overcrowded households, and fewer options for multigenerational living. Longtime residents are being priced out of neighborhoods where they have deep roots. Newcomer families struggle to find safe and stable units. Supportive housing waitlists grow longer, and emergency housing options are limited. The problem has grown so severe that community organizations like SWOP and United Action for Access and Justice have launched major campaigns such as Reclaiming Chicago, which aims to build 1,000 homes on the South Side and 1,000 homes on the West Side. This effort reflects the urgent need for coordinated public investment, community driven development, and local leadership that understands both the data and the lived reality of families across the district. As State Representative, I will push for zoning reform that expands missing middle housing, increased investment in affordable homes, and stronger protections to keep families housed. Affordable, stable housing is essential to the health of our district.
Yes. Through my community work on the Southwest Side, I have supported the Reclaiming Chicago initiative, a community based model focused on bringing vacant or distressed homes back under local control. This effort identifies properties that are at risk of being purchased by predatory investors, rehabilitates them using local labor, and sells them back to neighborhood families at affordable prices. Reclaiming Chicago restores stable homeownership, prevents displacement, and keeps wealth circulating within the community instead of leaving it.
My work with IMAN also includes direct involvement in supportive housing through the Green ReEntry Housing Program. The program provides safe and stable housing for returning citizens and creates an environment that supports long term success. Green ReEntry homes offer structured programming, a focus on mental, emotional, and spiritual development, and the tools that residents need to build a life vision and a pathway to achieve it. This model reflects IMAN’s mission of health, wellness, and healing by ensuring that individuals have both housing stability and wraparound support that allows them to rebuild their lives with dignity.
In my broader community work as a District 7 lead supporting the police stations, I helped new arrival neighbors find short term and long term housing. I connected families with local churches and community organizations that were providing financial support, rental assistance, and emergency resources. This on the ground work gave families immediate access to safe housing options and neighborhood networks that helped them stabilize during some of the most difficult moments of transition.
As a teacher on the Southwest Side, I bring housing support directly into my school community. I partner with financial advisors and realtors who work with SWOP and other local organizations to speak with families about affordable homeownership pathways, the Reclaiming Chicago model, and available resources. These workshops help parents build financial literacy, understand the steps toward owning a home, and connect with trusted professionals who can guide them through the process.
Through all of this work, I have consistently supported programs that help families facing emergencies secure safe housing quickly, connect them to rental assistance, and provide long term financial counseling. These strategies strengthen anti displacement efforts, increase the number of community controlled homes, and ensure that longtime residents and newcomer families can remain rooted in the neighborhoods they helped build.
The State must take an active role in increasing the supply of affordable homes, reducing the cost barriers that make housing expensive to build, and protecting families from displacement. Housing costs rise when supply is limited, zoning is restrictive, and working families are locked out of the types of homes they need. Renters, in particular, are carrying the burden, often spending 30, 40, or even 50 percent of their income on rent. We need a statewide strategy that expands housing options, speeds up development, and ensures that affordable homes stay affordable for the long term.
First, Illinois must modernize zoning so more housing can be built where families need it. Data from the Illinois Policy Institute shows that restrictive zoning rules block developers from creating options that working families can afford. Upzoning to allow two flats, three flats, and four flats in areas currently limited to single family homes is essential. Eliminating mandatory parking minimums, as Chicago has done in transit-rich areas, opens more land for housing and lowers construction costs. Legalizing accessory dwelling units statewide would create more space for young people, multigenerational families, and seniors who want to age in place.
Next, the State should adopt policies that reduce construction costs and speed up development timelines. The Illinois Economic Policy Institute recommends easing zoning restrictions, legalizing multifamily zoning, and fast tracking permitting by adopting clear time limits. This would prevent long delays and reduce project costs that eventually fall on renters. Creating tax incentives to convert vacant or underused commercial buildings into residential units would expand supply without requiring new land. Illinois should also strengthen existing affordable rental programs and create a low interest loan program to help developers build new affordable housing units.
The State must also limit the influence of institutional investors that outbid families and nonprofits. Making it easier for individuals, community organizations, and mission driven developers to compete keeps homes in local hands. Increasing surtaxes on short term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo would also help stabilize the long term rental market.
Finally, the State should invest directly in community based housing models. Reclaiming Chicago received ten million dollars in the last state budget through a grant to IDHS for homebuyer subsidies. This helped reclaim vacant properties and return them to neighborhood families. For real progress in 2025, this line item must increase to fifteen million dollars so communities can redevelop more homes, keep families stable, and prevent displacement.
These combined actions will expand supply, lower building costs, and make homeownership and stable renting possible for working families across Illinois.
Yes. I would support and work on state legislation to end exclusionary zoning because it directly harms communities like those in District 1. In our district, PolicyMap data shows clear housing undersupply in Central Stickney and Brighton Park, with modest undersupply in Gage Park, Chicago Lawn, McKinley Park, and Bridgeport. When communities face undersupply but local zoning laws still prohibit duplexes, three flats, or small apartment buildings, families have fewer options, rents rise, and longtime residents are pushed into overcrowded or unstable housing. Ending exclusionary zoning would give our neighborhoods the flexibility to build the homes families actually need. Affordability is getting more difficult for working families in Illinois. Zillow shows that statewide home values have risen more than 46 percent since 2018. A typical home that sold for under two hundred thousand dollars six years ago now costs nearly three hundred thousand dollars. While statewide trends reflect many factors, the most consistent and driving issue is that Illinois simply does not have enough homes. The state will need more than two hundred thousand additional housing units in the next five years to meet demand. This shortage directly affects our district, where many families are already competing for too few homes and too few rental options. Research from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute reinforces what we see on the Southwest Side. The most effective way to lower housing costs is to increase the number of homes available. When vacancy rates fall and building permits decline, prices climb more quickly. The lesson is clear. We must build more homes across all types, including missing middle housing, small multi family buildings, and accessory dwelling units. Exclusionary zoning prevents neighborhoods in our district from adding the modest, family friendly density that would meet local needs. Because of this, I support statewide reforms that require municipalities to legalize apartments and multi unit homes in residential areas. I support legislation such as HB 1813 and HB 3552 to legalize accessory dwelling units statewide, HB 1814 to allow up to four units on residential lots in many municipalities, HB 3288 to allow up to eight units in larger cities, and HB 1147 and SB 62, the Build Illinois Homes Act, which expand financing for affordable housing developments. These policies directly align with the housing gaps we see across District 1. Ending exclusionary zoning is essential for strengthening our communities. Allowing duplexes, three flats, four flats, and small apartment buildings across residential areas would give families more choices, reduce overcrowding, expand options for multigenerational living, and lower overall housing costs. It also supports the goals of Reclaiming Chicago, which is working to reclaim vacant homes and create more opportunities for stable homeownership. For District 1, statewide zoning reform is not an abstract policy idea. It is a necessary step to address undersupply, stabilize rents, and ensure that families can stay rooted in the neighborhoods they helped build. I would fully support legislation that legalizes more housing choices in every community so that all families have a fair chance to live where they work, learn, and raise their children.
I want to see a full mix of housing types that meet the needs of families in District 1 and address the clear undersupply we see in neighborhoods like Central Stickney, Brighton Park, Gage Park, Chicago Lawn, McKinley Park, and Bridgeport. These communities need more options that allow families to stay close to schools, jobs, and support networks. First, I support Accessory Dwelling Units, including basement apartments, attic conversions, and backyard coach houses. ADUs help seniors age in place, give families space for relatives, and create affordable rental options without changing the overall look of the block. Second, I support more duplexes, two flats, and missing middle housing like three flats and four flats. These housing types are already part of the Southwest Side’s history and identity. Expanding them gives working families more options, reduces overcrowding, and helps stabilize rents. Third, I support small apartment buildings that fit the character of the neighborhood but provide more homes for growing families, first time renters, and multigenerational households. These buildings help create a balanced housing supply in areas where single family zoning currently limits choice. I also support more subsidized affordable housing, supportive housing for families in crisis, and community driven developments like Reclaiming Chicago that keep homes in the hands of local residents instead of investors. These models protect families who are most at risk of displacement and create long term stability. Allowing a mix of housing types will help our district stay affordable, inclusive, and rooted. It gives seniors, newcomers, young adults, and longtime residents real options and supports the growth our neighborhoods need without pushing anyone out.
Yes. I support by right permitting because it creates a fair, transparent process that allows the homes our communities need to move forward without unnecessary barriers. In many neighborhoods, even when housing is technically allowed, the approval process becomes so complicated and political that it slows projects down, shrinks what can be built, or stops homes altogether. This drives up construction costs and makes housing more expensive for families. By right permitting is especially important in areas with exclusionary practices where a small group of well-resourced residents can weaponize hearings, appeals, and politically driven reviews to block new housing. In these neighborhoods, endless meetings do not reflect the real needs of families who are facing overcrowding, rising rents, and too few housing choices. They also give disproportionate influence to NIMBY voices instead of the broader community. Clear, objective rules protect developers and residents from arbitrary decisions. When the standards are known in advance and a project meets those standards, it should be approved without delays or political intervention. This helps make it possible to build the types of homes District 1 needs more of, including two flats, three flats, four flats, small apartment buildings, and Accessory Dwelling Units. Streamlining permitting also aligns with the statewide research showing that increasing housing supply is the most effective way to stabilize prices. When the process is predictable, more homes can be built sooner, construction costs are lower, and families benefit from more affordable options. By right permitting ensures that communities like those in District 1 can add the homes needed to address undersupply, reduce overcrowding, and support families who want to stay rooted in their neighborhoods.
Illinois needs significantly more affordable homes, and District 1 shows exactly why. PolicyMap data reveals clear undersupply in Central Stickney and Brighton Park, and modest undersupply in Gage Park, Chicago Lawn, McKinley Park, and Bridgeport. These neighborhoods have long served working families, yet families earning low incomes, including many newcomers, essential workers, and multigenerational households, cannot find homes priced within reach. Increasing funding for affordable housing is one of the most important steps the State can take to stabilize families and prevent displacement. Statewide, the need is urgent. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that Illinois needs more than 250,000 additional affordable homes for households earning 50 percent of the area median income or less. Impact for Equity’s report shows that opportunity rich communities across the Chicago region use complex local barriers, restrictive zoning, and lengthy approval processes to block affordable housing. This leaves communities like District 1 carrying the weight of housing need while higher opportunity areas underproduce the affordable housing the State requires. To address these gaps, I support a comprehensive approach that increases funding and directs resources to communities with the greatest need, including those in District 1. 1. Expanding and stabilizing the State’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund: The Trust Fund is one of the strongest tools we have for creating and preserving affordable housing. Increasing its resources through expanded real estate transfer tax revenue, general budget appropriations, and federal matching dollars would allow more developments to move forward, especially in neighborhoods where affordable housing supply is severely limited. 2. Strengthening GAP incentives and restoring the NELG set aside: District 1 communities benefit when state incentives prioritize affordable housing in neighborhoods with documented undersupply. Adding points to NELG applications and restoring set aside tax credits specifically for these areas would help working families access stable homes. 3. Growing affordable housing production statewide: Using the AHPA framework, Illinois should increase State resources by expanding the Build Illinois Homes state LIHTC match, increasing the real estate transfer tax to fund the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, or making direct budget appropriations. The State should expand the Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program, especially in counties outside Cook, and pair it with inclusionary zoning policies requiring at least fifteen to twenty percent affordability. The State should also invest in new public development models using revolving loan funds or similar financing tools that support publicly owned affordable or mixed income housing. 4. Establishing strong planning and zoning requirements: The State should require municipalities to allow smaller lot single family homes or two or more units per lot and create zoned capacity for a certain amount of affordable housing. Municipalities should have flexibility in where that capacity is placed, but they should not be able to avoid it. The State should also adopt equitable transit oriented development laws, creating incentives for multifamily and affordable housing near Metra stations and transit corridors. 5. Creating stable revenue for long term affordability: I support expanding state tax credits, leveraging federal affordable housing programs, and creating low interest loan programs that reduce development costs for nonprofit, mission driven, and community based developers. These tools allow organizations like SWOP, Reclaiming Chicago partners, and IMAN to build housing that remains affordable and community controlled. 6. Ensuring fair access to affordable housing across all communities: Affordable housing cannot be concentrated only in lower income areas. Impact for Equity highlights how opportunity rich suburbs and municipalities use local zoning and permitting barriers to block affordable developments entirely. I support statewide legislation that requires every community to meet its fair share and eliminates the local barriers that keep affordable housing out of higher opportunity areas. 7. Supporting programs that keep families housed: Increasing funding for rental assistance, emergency housing support, and rehabilitation programs that return vacant homes to families at affordable prices is essential. In District 1, models like Reclaiming Chicago and IMAN’s stable housing programs show what is possible when funding reaches the organizations closest to community needs. By increasing State funding, strengthening incentives, removing local barriers, and investing in community rooted developers, Illinois can begin closing the massive affordable housing gap. For District 1, this means building the homes families need to stay, grow, and remain rooted in the neighborhoods they built.
How would you improve AHPAA’s planning and appeal processes to ensure affordable housing developers face fewer barriers when proposing and building developments in our state’s most affluent communities?
AHPAA will only work if it is enforced consistently, transparently, and with real accountability. Right now, that is not happening. Only 10 of the 44 required municipalities submitted compliant plans in 2024, and no appeals have ever been filed, even though affordable developments are regularly blocked in affluent areas.
Here is how I would improve AHPAA:
Require timely, compliant municipal housing plans: Municipalities must meet deadlines, include clear affordability strategies, and ensure plans reflect actual capacity for affordable housing.
Give the State stronger oversight authority: The State should be able to review plans for quality, require revisions, and take corrective action when municipalities fail to comply.
Streamline and strengthen the appeal process: Developers need a simplified, fast, and accessible appeals system. Clear timelines for filing, reviewing, and resolving appeals will ensure that improper denials cannot stall affordable developments.
Provide technical assistance for nonprofit and community developers: Appeals are often unused because community based organizations lack legal resources. The State should offer support to help them navigate the process.
Establish stronger planning standards: Municipalities should be required to create zoning capacity for affordable units, including smaller lot homes, duplexes, and multi unit housing, and outline how they will meet affordability goals.
Expand use of affordability tools: Municipalities should pair their housing plans with tools like the Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program or inclusionary zoning requirements.
Strengthen public reporting and transparency: The State should publish annual compliance dashboards showing which municipalities have approved plans, zoning capacity, progress toward affordability targets, and any appeals filed.
Reduce local discretion that blocks affordable housing: Affluent communities often use procedural barriers to stop developments. The State should set clearer rules that limit arbitrary denials and remove opportunities for local obstruction.
Ensure affordable housing is built in high opportunity areas: AHPAA must be used to make sure communities with strong schools, transit access, and job opportunities contribute their fair share, instead of restricting affordable homes to lower income neighborhoods.
Yes. I support several proven social and affordable housing models that can be adapted for Illinois and aligned with what families in District 1 need. My perspective comes from my work on the Southwest Side supporting new arrival families, advocating for community controlled housing through Reclaiming Chicago, and connecting families at my school to financial counseling, homeownership pathways, and stable housing programs.
Austrian Social Housing, also known as the Vienna Model: Vienna’s model is one of the strongest in the world. It provides large scale, publicly supported, mixed income housing that remains permanently affordable and community controlled. It focuses on long term stability, excellent building quality, and prevents displacement by tying affordability to the unit rather than the tenant. This is a model Illinois should study closely as we create more non market housing options, especially in high opportunity areas where affordability has collapsed.
Montgomery County in Maryland, Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit Program: Montgomery County requires developers to set aside a portion of new units as affordable and gives the county the right to purchase some of these units for use as public or nonprofit managed housing. This approach produces mixed income communities and ensures affordable housing in places with strong schools, safe neighborhoods, and job access. Illinois could adapt this model through stronger inclusionary zoning connected to school districts and transportation corridors.
Community Land Trusts: Community Land Trusts keep land permanently in community ownership while families own or rent the homes on that land at below market rates. This prevents displacement, removes properties from speculative markets, and stabilizes neighborhoods. In District 1, a Community Land Trust model would help long time residents remain in communities such as Brighton Park, Gage Park, Archer Heights, and Chicago Lawn as costs rise. Reclaiming Chicago already reflects this principle by securing distressed homes and returning them to local families instead of investors.
Reclaiming Chicago, which includes United Power and partners on the South and West Sides: This model should be expanded statewide. It focuses on acquiring vacant or distressed homes, rehabbing them with local labor, and selling them back to neighborhood families at affordable prices. It creates stable homeownership, local jobs, and community wealth. District 1 families need more of these opportunities, and I support increasing State investment to expand this work.
Supportive Housing Models that include IMAN’s Green ReEntry Housing Program:
I strongly support housing models that combine safe and stable homes with wraparound services, mental health supports, and workforce development. IMAN’s Green ReEntry Housing Program gives residents stable housing while providing job training, counseling, and life planning tools. This is a model Illinois should expand because it promotes rehabilitation, reduces recidivism, and strengthens communities.
Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives: These cooperatives allow residents to own shares at an affordable price while capping resale values to keep units permanently affordable. They provide stability for seniors, multigenerational families, and first time homebuyers. Cooperatives create ownership opportunities in neighborhoods where traditional homeownership is increasingly out of reach.
Preservation of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing: Illinois should invest in preserving two flats, three flats, and four flats, especially in areas where PolicyMap shows housing is modestly undersupplied. These buildings are the backbone of affordable housing on the Southwest Side and are disappearing because of speculation and demolition. State funding to rehab, weatherize, and maintain these homes keeps rents stable and prevents displacement.
By investing in these models, including public, nonprofit, and community driven approaches, we can create a strong and stable long term affordable housing ecosystem. These approaches match what District 1 families consistently ask for: stability, affordability, pathways to homeownership, and protection from displacement.
When I learned about YIMBY and Abundant Housing Illinois, I joined because building more housing must go hand in hand with protecting renters. In District 1, many families are renters, multigenerational households, and mixed status families facing high housing costs, so tenant protections are essential to prevent displacement.
1st, I support access to safe, quality, and affordable housing with strong habitability enforcement, better inspections, and reasonable, transparent rent increases.
2nd, I support clear and fair leases written in plain language, in the languages spoken in District 1, with all fees disclosed and advance notice before changes.
3rd, I support stronger education and enforcement of renter rights, funding for legal aid, stopping source of income discrimination, and ensuring fair screening practices.
4th, I support protecting the right of tenants to organize without retaliation and ensuring renters can identify and contact building owners.
5th, I support eviction prevention, diversion, and relief, including just cause standards, advance notice, right to counsel, and sealing records when tenants resolve issues.
These protections help families stay in their homes while we build more housing and expand affordability in District 1.
Yes. Illinois has several important tenant protection laws that are not being fully enforced, and families across District 1 feel the impact. Strong laws mean little without consistent enforcement and real consequences for violations. Three areas need urgent attention.
Source of income discrimination protections: Illinois added source of income protections in 2022, yet a recent investigation filed 165 complaints against Chicago area landlords and real estate agents for illegally rejecting Housing Choice Voucher holders. This shows clear violations and weak enforcement. I support stronger IDHR oversight, public reporting of voucher acceptance rates, and a statewide compliance database.
Habitability and safe housing laws: A report from Housing Action Illinois found that many code enforcement systems are under-resourced and reactive, leaving families in older housing stock in Brighton Park, Gage Park, Chicago Lawn, and McKinley Park especially vulnerable. I support expanding State grants for proactive inspections, annual rental registration in high need areas, and a centralized tenant complaint portal with transparent tracking.
Misuse of nuisance and crime free ordinances: A 2025 Housing Action Illinois report found that some municipalities use these ordinances to push out tenants even without criminal activity, disproportionately harming low income renters and renters of color. I support statewide limits on these ordinances, strong reporting requirements, and guaranteed access to legal representation.
To improve enforcement statewide, I would increase funding for legal aid, strengthen penalties for repeat violators, create a public dashboard tracking landlord compliance, require annual landlord training, and establish rapid response teams for serious violations. These steps ensure that tenant protection laws are enforced consistently and protect families from displacement in District 1.
