CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- It's been a century since coaches were a common sight around Chicago, but coach houses could be on their way back, under a program set to launch next week designed to create more affordable housing in the city.
Chicago's citywide ban on new coach houses and basement apartments ... sometimes called "granny flats" ... was passed in the 1950s, but plenty are still in use. Lakeview alderman Bennett Lawson says his ward has a lot of them.
"I've seen how they can help provide lower cost housing options in what is a rapidly-rising-cost neighborhood," said Ald. Lawson (44th Ward).
Starting April 1, 30 wards will clear the way for new construction of those units, which are officially known as "ADUs." If you're not familiar with the term, don't worry: "If you'd asked me five years ago what an ADU was, I might not have known," said Ald. Lawson, who co-sponsored this proposal with Southwest side Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward).
Under the program, the city is setting up a website where Chicagoans can enter their information and find out if their area is eligible: "You'll get your pre-approval, and you then can spend the money on the architect, the contractor, the building permits to move forward," the alderman said.
Twenty wards in the city are not currently in the program, but Ald. Lawson said he and his office are talking to at least a couple of aldermen about signing on, while others are taking a "wait-and-see" attitude. "We can look at benefits in different neighborhoods and how it plays out," he said. "No one thing is going to solve our housing crisis ... it's got to be a lot of little things."
30 wards in first wave of ordinance covering 'ADUs'
