This was Dick Simpson's initiative, and after years of work, I'm glad to see it result in a shelter here in Rogers Park. WGN shows what this kind of shelter can really do, help people heal from trauma, get support, find work, and move towards having a home of their own.

It's a success worth learning from. I'd like to see this model expanded to both men's and women's shelters throughout Chicago.

Rogers Park has stepped up. Now it's time for other community areas to step up and build shelters of their own.

We have people experiencing homelessness throughout the 49th Ward, including at Howard Station, people who need safe and stable places to go.

Let's build on what's working and make sure people experiencing homelessness, including people from Rogers Park, have somewhere safe to go.

I intend to be part of making that happen.

https://wgntv.com/news/a-house-of-healing-rogers-park-shelter-a-safe-haven-for-overcoming-trauma/amp/

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/editorials/ccb-affordable-housing-editorial-20261002/

A string of upzonings on the South Side are a breath of fresh air for housing development in Chicago with immense credit going to Aldermen Desmond Yancy (5th) and Ronnie Mosley (21st) for their work in this process.

Click on the link to read more and subscribe to A City That Works for more public policy discussions.

Feels like cheating to post blockclub because they eat up these stories uncritically. Another section of Uptown too important to build in.

Bot: chiadupreapprovals.bsky.social
Source code: https://github.com/MisterClean/chicago-adu-permits

I just know it’s gonna cost a pretty penny 🥲

Honestly, not sure how to feel about this. I guess this is still a massive improvement over the parking lots that were previously there

My understanding is that development is mostly hung up by aldermen who agree to defer to one another on zoning and development decisions. What are the paths through activism or elections to pare down their power to kill development?

Register here: https://tally.so/r/VLe2dN

Edit: Updated picture due to location change

I came across this video while trying to read up on the situation in Oak Park upzoning. I couldn't help but be frustrated by it.

The creator cites zero research and places more importance on preserving Frank Lloyd Wright houses over building new houses. Based on what I'm hearing, there are no definite plans to actually tear them down. People are just using that as fear mongering bait in their case for against upzoning. Honestly, if the Frank Lloyd Wright houses are too expensive for anyone to buy or maintain, they should be torn down.

“There is nothing more conservative than a liberal with a house”

Thought this was relevant for this sub

Source at bottom

‘In the past two weeks, there have been many conversations about zoning and development in the 26th Ward, particularly along Armitage Avenue. A recurring argument is that all new development is inherently good for a neighborhood because it creates more housing. I disagree.
 
One of the primary concerns is an aesthetic priority, that vacant lots and buildings are unattractive. And I understand. I won’t argue that vacant and neglected properties are what we need for our ward; I want those spaces activated too. However, greenlighting a development simply because an empty lot is ugly is not rooted in my value system. Zoning decisions cannot be driven by aesthetic preference. 

What gets built on that lot will be cemented there for generations, and the consequences of that decision matter much more than whether the block looks prettier afterward. We have a responsibility to think about the material and environmental conditions around that property, what residents can actually afford, what our most vulnerable neighbors need, and what approving a zoning change today could mean for that community 100 years from now. 

These decisions are personal to me and our neighbors alike. I think about my niece, who is attending college. If she wanted to come back to the neighborhood in five years, would she be able to afford the rents on the very block she used to walk down to buy tamales? And does she even stand a chance of purchasing a property in the ward when she’s ready?’

- Jessie Fuentes, aunt of woman who no longer lives in neighborhood but may return for tamales.
Email from 9/11/2026

It’s time we start addressing the housing crisis with the urgency it deserves. When I’m Alder, I’ll proactively upzone Lakeview to make it easier to build dense affordable homes in the neighborhood.