Committee on Housing and Real Estate
City Council May 16, 2022
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation receives federal funding from Housing and Urban Development to manage the mixed-income senior housing building, James Sneider, located at 7450 North Rogers' in the 49th Ward; and
WHEREAS, beginning on Monday, May 9, 2022, temperatures in Chicago rose above 82-degrees fahrenheit, reaching as high as 91-degrees fahrenheit on Friday, May 13, 2022; and
WHEREAS, James Sneider residents started making complaints to Hispanic Housing Development Corporation as early as Tuesday, May 10, 2022, about high temperature levels in their units; and
WHEREAS, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation was aware of the situation and, despite this knowledge, failed to respond to the abrupt shift from cooler weather to extreme heat in addressing high temperature conditions; and
WHEREAS, By Thursday, May 12, 2022 Hispanic Housing Development Corporation had failed to turn off the heating system in the building, exacerbating ambient temperatures and knowingly putting at risk the health and well-being of senior residents; and
WHEREAS, After being notified ofthe situation on Thursday, May 12, 2022, Alderwoman Hadden called on Hispanic Housing Development Corporation to address the concerns regarding the excessive heat in the building, including by asking that they transition their building from the broiler to the air condition system and that they immediately install mobile cooling units in the common area to serve as a cooling center during the switch over to ensure the welfare of residents; and
WHEREAS, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation admitted that they were aware of the problem and miscited the City of Chicago's ordinance governing minimum heat requirements as a reason for not being able to turn on the air conditioning right away; and
WHEREAS, Excessive heat and variable weather conditions are more common in our region as a result of climate change; and
WHEREAS, Building management companies and housing providers should be responsive to shifts in weather patterns to protect residents' health and well-being; and
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Committee on Housing and Real Estate
City Council May 16, 2022
WHEREAS, On Saturday, May 14, 2022, the air conditioning was not yet functioning in James Sneider and three elderly residents tragically lost their lives due to heat-related issues that could have been prevented by providing the available air conditioning to their apartments;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members ofthe City Council ofthe City of Chicago, gathered here this sixteenth day of May, 2022, do hereby call upon the Committee of Housing and Real Estate to convene a hearing regarding the events leading up to the tragic deaths of three senior residents of James Sneider Apartments, located at 7450 North Rogers Avenue, that occurred on the fourteenth of May, 2022; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED; That we call upon the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation to testify at the hearing; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED; That we call upon current residents of James Sneider Apartments to testify at the hearing; and
Maria E. Hadden Alderperson, 49th Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we call upon representatives from the City of Chicago's Department of Law, Department of Buildings, Department of Public Health, Department of Family and Support Services, and Department of Housing to attend the hearing to identify legislative avenues that will strengthen protections for tenants from extreme heat and cold conditions.
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