Is there an adequate supply of rental housing in the Chicago area to provide homes for relocating CHA residents?
Concerns have been raised regarding the Chicago rental market’s ability to accommodate the number of families that will move into the private market using Housing Choice Vouchers. As one safety measure, HUD conducts a regional rental market study annually or as needed to determine whether there is sufficient rental housing or whether demolition should be slowed down. The first two studies completed in this area illustrated that there was limited affordable rental housing but that the numbers were not low enough to warrant a slow down of resident relocation. This has been born out in the results of families searching for rental housing with a Housing Choice Voucher. In 2002, 75 percent of our families found a rental unit within 90 days after receiving their voucher. Additionally, far fewer families have moved to the private market than originally anticipated. Initial projections had 1,200 families moving to the private market each year. In actuality, only 400 families have moved each ye
