Office of the City Clerk - Record #: SO2014-6997

• Record #: SO2014-6997
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Passed
• Intro date: 9/10/2014
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Housing and Real Estate
• Final action: 11/12/2014
• Title: Amendment of Municipal Code Title 5 by adding new Chapter 5-15 entitled "Single-Room Occupancy and Residential Hotel Preservation Ordinance" and modifying Sections 17-14-0200 and 17-17-0200 to authorize Commissioner of Department of Planning and Development to administer provisions related thereto
• Sponsors: Emanuel, Rahm, Burnett, Jr., Walter, Pawar, Ameya, Suarez, Regner Ray, Cardenas, George A., Burns, William D., Willie B. Cochran, Brookins, Jr., Howard
• Topic: MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS - Title 5 - Housing & Economic Development - Ch. 15 Single-Room Occupancy And Residential Hotel Preservation Ordinance

Date	Journal Page Number	Action By	Action	Result
11/12/2014	97375	City Council	Passed as Substitute	Pass
11/10/2014		Committee on Housing and Real Estate	Recommended to Pass	Pass
9/10/2014	86790	City Council	Referred

SUBSTITUTE ORDINANCE

WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is a home-rule unit of government under Article VII, Section 6(a) of the 1970 Constitution of the State of Illinois, and, as such, may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs; and
WHEREAS, The City's home-rule authority includes the power to enact ordinances and regulations aimed at preserving safe, decent, and affordable housing in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has determined that single-room occupancy buildings (SROs) are an essential component of the City's affordable housing stock, and that this form of housing is increasingly scarce due to sale and other market forces; and
WHEREAS, For this reason, the City has a vital interest in maintaining existing affordable housing by discouraging the conversion and demolition of SROs; and

WHEREAS, The City therefore expresses a firm commitment to make resources available, between now and the end of the year 2018, to preserve no less than 700 SRO units for very and extremely low-income Chicagoans by implementing an aggressive strategy centered on encouraging owners to participate in a variety of incentive programs and to cooperate in the efforts of preservation buyers to acquire SROs; and

WHEREAS, In addition to this commitment on its own behalf, the City recognizes the need to enact new legal requirements tailored to preserve Chicago's existing SROs; now, therefore,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:

SECTION 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
SECTION 2. Title 5 of the Municipal Code of Chicago is hereby amended by adding a new chapter 5-15, as follows:
CHAPTER 5-15
SINGLE-ROOM OCCUPANCY PRESERVATION ORDINANCE
5-15-010 Title and purpose.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Single-Room Occupancy Preservation Ordinance," and shall be liberally construed and applied to achieve its purpose, which is to promote the public w...