Everything you need to know about ADUs
We're pulling out all the stops to ensure Chicago City Council votes to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) citywide at the September 25th City Council meeting. Here is a quick summary of the three (‼️) ADU-related events we have planned this month:
"ADUs 101" Advocacy Webinar - September 8th
Interested in advocating for ADUs but don't know where to start? We have the perfect webinar for you! We will cover a brief history of ADUs in Chicago, the upcoming City Council vote, how to discuss and frame ADUs to elected officials, and how to give public comment in person at City Hall.
Woodlawn ADU House Tour - September 23rd
Join Abundant Housing Illinois on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025 at 6:30pm for a tour and talk with Benjamin Van Horne of Greenline Homes and Wayne Beals, Chicagoland's GREEN realtor! Designed with a ground-floor ADU, this all-electric home is ready for grandparents to assist with childcare or for use as a rental unit to offset the cost of a mortgage. Attendance is free for Abundant Housing Illinois members and 20th Ward residents (please reply to this email for your promotional code if you don't use Slack).
City Council Meeting Attendance - September 25th
We're amassing our largest City Council turnout yet to support ADUs! Grab your Abundant Housing Illinois t-shirt if you have one and head on down to City Hall with dozens of your fellow Abundant Housing members for a strong show of force! Please try to arrive by 9:50 a.m. if you are planning to give a verbal comment.
In addition to hosting ADU-related events, we continue to gather an incredible amount of support for ADU legalization via our petition. If you have not yet signed our ADU petition, we strongly encourage you to do so. Our goal is to deliver 3,000 unique signatures from residents of all 50 wards in support of ADUs prior to the September City Council meeting.
Share your ADU story
Telling a personal story is one of the best ways to convince an elected official to take interest in a specific policy issue. If you'd like to share how ADUs have helped your family, please write to Alderman Lawson. This will empower Ald. Lawson (the sponsor of the ADU ordinance) to use his storytelling skills to win skeptical alders over before the September 25th vote.
Tell City Council you support ADUs citywide!
On September 20th, we're transforming a parking lot into an urbanist paradise
According to the official Park(ing) Day website, "Park(ing) day is a global, public, participatory project where people across the world temporarily repurpose curbside parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces to advocate for safer, greener, and more equitable streets for people."
This year, we're teaming up with Chicago Growth Project, Parking Reform Network, and Strong Towns Chicago to bring you our biggest Park(ing) day event yet! This event will have everything: live music, food trucks, Alderman Matt Martin (😍), even yoga sessions! In addition to the festivities, each organization will transform parking spaces into creative displays, giving attendees an opportunity to learn about their missions and get plugged in.
Park(ing) Day is also a great opportunity to donate to your favorite Chicago urbanist organizations. Attendance is free, but we aim to raise $3,500 to cover event costs (e.g., we have to hire security!), with any additional funds going directly to our partner advocacy groups to advance their missions.
In addition to planning a wonderful Park(ing) Day event, our members continue to make great progress on and receive great recognition for their parking reform efforts. Last month, the City of Oak Forest, Illinois eliminated parking mandates entirely, and Chicago's elimination of parking mandates near public transit was featured in Bloomberg! Let's keep stacking those wins!
September Happy Hour w/ CUrbanism
At 5:00 pm on Friday, September 19th, we're co-hosting a happy hour at BIG Bar in the Loop with our CUrbanism friends (Champaign–Urbana YIMBY chapter). The event will be held during the Illinois Municipal League (IML) annual conference, and is designed as a fun way to discuss housing and city planning after a long day of panels and moderated discussions. There will not be a presentation or formal agenda, just a chance to connect and share common ground and new perspectives.