CHA Subsidized Housing at 500 N Lake Shore Drive (Chicago, Country Club Hills: apartments, for rent)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by emathias

I'm pretty damn liberal, but when I read about that I was baffled as to what possible rationale the people signing off on it could have had. I could understand Section 8 offering, in limited quantities, some vouchers for a modest amount over the metro area's market averages. But 300% of the metro area's market averages?!

I know a single mom who works full time and can barely make rent waiting for Section 8 vouchers - she's waiting and the program is wasting many thousands of dollars that simply don't need to be spent. It's outrageous.

I'm with you - I'm more left leaning but this is so stupid. Why do you need to live in one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the city?? Do they realize how many other families they could help with this money by being more realistic and putting families in still decent or nice but not as expensive places? Crazy and disappointing to hear.

I have been in this building before to a unit - it's a nice place. It's pretty luxury, and there's no reason the city should be doing this. They could put people up in cheaper options in the same general area and help other families out who need assistance. Why spend $2500+/month on a place when you could get something decent in the same general area for $1400-$1500/month and help another family or person out who needs it?

[quigboto]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I'm with you - I'm more left leaning but this is so stupid. Why do you need to live in one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the city?? Do they realize how many other families they could help with this money by being more realistic? Crazy and disappointing to hear.

I'm left leaning as well, and support safety nets because I do believe they help many people out of poverty, but this is insane because it does nothing to encourage getting off the dole. I mean, why walk away from a luxury high rise apartment? Just shaking my head at this story and very curious to find out more info about this.

[ChicagoMeO]

whoa - is it really $2,500 a month rent? that's even more than I thought it was. wow... just wow

Who in their right mind is responsible for thinking of this? wonder if channel 2 investigative reporters would love to check out whats going on. (or some other media).

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

whoa - is it really $2,500 a month rent? that's even more than I thought it was. wow... just wow

Who in their right mind is responsible for thinking of this? wonder if channel 2 investigative reporters would love to check out whats going on. (or some other media).

It's the most expensive apartment building by square footage in Chicago, or at least it was as of maybe 6 months ago (AMLI River North or Hubbard Place may be on par or more than it now). There are no down or up buttons on the elevators there - there's LCD flat panel monitors where you input the floor you want to go to. When you come into the lobby, you can just swipe your key and it automatically knows which floor to go to.

The 1 bedrooms start at around $2500/month there and I think there are some that are over $3000/month. There are some 2 bedrooms (2 bed/2 bath) over $5000/month there though I think you can get a lesser one for maybe $4000-$4500/month. Studios start at around $2000/month. I met a girl last year who lives there and was paying something like $2300/month for her convertible. I got to see her unit - it was nice though I'm not sure if I'd pay that much for it.

There is no way they should be subsidizing people in this building when you can go to other buildings even in the greater downtown area for less. Let's say some people are getting a 2 bed 2 bath and CHA is paying $4300/month for it. The 2 bed, 1.5 bath units in my building in the Gold Coast cost half of that and my building does not suck. I mean, they could come to my building, 1 family, and with the difference right there you could provide for another family. It's idiotic.

[LeotheOrangeCat]

Yeah this is pretty unbelievable.

[mjtinmemphis]

I didn't realize that this was a rental building instead of a condo building with private owners.

There has to be more to the story. There is no way cha should be subsidizing such an expensive unit.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

I didn't realize that this was a rental building instead of a condo building with private owners.

What difference does it make? There's no way the taxpayer should be footing the bill for this nonsense in either case.

[ChicagoMeO]

one thing, whomever are the other tenants - condo owners or renters - they are not going to enjoy paying $2,500 while another one is paying $200 for the same. but 'fair housing" laws might make them stuck.

When I went for an apartment, I asked if there was section 8 in the building, and they gave me the standard legal answer, yes we are fair housing landlords. so according to "fair housing" I would guess that all buildings have potential to be section 8 really.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It's the most expensive apartment building by square footage in Chicago, or at least it was as of maybe 6 months ago (AMLI River North or Hubbard Place may be on par or more than it now). There are no down or up buttons on the elevators there - there's LCD flat panel monitors where you input the floor you want to go to. When you come into the lobby, you can just swipe your key and it automatically knows which floor to go to.

The 1 bedrooms start at around $2500/month there and I think there are some that are over $3000/month. There are some 2 bedrooms (2 bed/2 bath) over $5000/month there though I think you can get a lesser one for maybe $4000-$4500/month. Studios start at around $2000/month. I met a girl last year who lives there and was paying something like $2300/month for her convertible. I got to see her unit - it was nice though I'm not sure if I'd pay that much for it.

There is no way they should be subsidizing people in this building when you can go to other buildings even in the greater downtown area for less. Let's say some people are getting a 2 bed 2 bath and CHA is paying $4300/month for it. The 2 bed, 1.5 bath units in my building in the Gold Coast cost half of that and my building does not suck. I mean, they could come to my building, 1 family, and with the difference right there you could provide for another family. It's idiotic.

...does anyone want to speculate that the folks that end up in these units have deep ties to insiders? Possible mistresses? Relatives of CHA officials? This should be further evidence of how much corruption rules every layer of government in Chicago.

The folks that want to stick their heads in the sand and give Rahm & Quinn & Madigan & Cullerton & their local alderman the benefit of the doubt allow these crimes to continue.

I heard a very convincing set of arguements from Joe Moore on WBEZ this morning followed immeadiately by a far more convincing set of refutations from Faisal Khan -- Alderman pushes through watchdog limits week after being probed - Chicago Tribune

The crooks are good liars!

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...does anyone want to speculate that the folks that end up in these units have deep ties to insiders? Possible mistresses? Relatives of CHA officials? This should be further evidence of how much corruption rules every layer of government in Chicago.

The folks that want to stick their heads in the sand and give Rahm & Quinn & Madigan & Cullerton & their local alderman the benefit of the doubt allow these crimes to continue.

I heard a very convincing set of arguements from Joe Moore on WBEZ this morning followed immeadiately by a far more convincing set of refutations from Faisal Khan -- Alderman pushes through watchdog limits week after being probed - Chicago Tribune

The crooks are good liars!

Chet Alert:

Did you see today's Tribune, with the news of a Chicago alderman's sister being made a principal of a CPS elementary school, even though her qualifications are suspect?