The Chicago Housing Authority will no longer have to work under a court-appointed receiver, effective June 1
The Chicago Housing Authority will no longer have to work under a court-appointed receiver effective June 1. At that time, the agency will resume responsibility for all acquisitions, housing development and redevelopment including administering its scattered site program.
Mayor Richard M. Daley said the May 20 announcement by U.S. District Judge Marvin Aspen was a monumental moment for Chicago.
“This is a historic day for the city and for CHA” Daley said.á “Since we (city of Chicago) regained control of CHA in 1999, we have worked diligently to increase accountability and transparency, to ensure housing opportunities for low-income residents throughout the city and to improve the communities that had long existed in the shadows of the towering high rises.”
In 1999, Daley said he would overhaul CHA and redevelop or rehab 25,000 units of housing through the Plan for Transformation. Since the plan’s inception, hundreds of blighted buildings have been demolished and nearly 18,000 units have been rehabilitated or redeveloped.
Matt Aguilar, a CHA spokesman, said it is 71 percent complete with the plan but already residents have found new opportunities to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.
In a court order dated May 20, Aspen said he made the decision to remove the housing authority from receivership after reviewing the steady progress the agency has made in its efforts to improve public housing to low-income families.
“The court finds that substantial progress has been made to ameliorate the conditions that warranted the Receivership and that a responsible transition should occur to restore to the CHA the powers and functions that had been transferred to the Receiver by the Receivership,” Aspen wrote.
In 1987, Aspen appointed Daniel Levin, chairman of The Habitat Company, as receiver and gave Levin and his company authority to develop and administer CHA’s scattered site and redevelopment program.á The receivership action was taken to enforce CHA compliance with the 1969 Gautreaux order, which mandated that all new housing built by CHA be done outside of predominantly low-income Black neighborhoods.á Over 4,000 units of public housing has been directly developed or overseen by the receiver.
Lewis Jordan, CEO of CHA, said The Habitat Company does great work especially when working with his agency.
“This action by the court further affirms CHA’s transformation,” said Jordan.á “We thank Habitat for their important work over the last 23 years and look forward to working together to further the goals of the Plan for Transformation.”
Levin said his partnership with CHA has helped to make it a much better agency.
á“CHA has been transformed from an agency in crisis to a national leader in housing development and community revitalization,” he said.
áJordan told the Defender that in order to make sure the transition goes smoothly, CHA and The Habitat Company would begin a three-year transition that is expected to take until May 31, 2013.á á
áCopyright 2010 Chicago Defender.
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