IHS Technical Assistance to Support Preservation of 2 to 4 Unit Properties in Chicago

Collaborations with Chicago stakeholders are central to the development of the Institute for Housing Studies’ (IHS) applied research, and these relationships are critical in connecting the Institute’s work to local housing policy and practice. Our recent reports on the characteristics of and changes to the city’s 2 to 4 unit housing stock were the product of years of technical assistance partnerships with city agencies and community-based organizations.

In our new blog, we describe this work including how IHS data and research informed Chicago practitioners and policymakers during the development of a set of targeted pilot ordinances designed to preserve legacy 2 to 4 unit buildings in communities around The 606 trail and in Pilsen - two areas experiencing growing affordability pressures and displacement risk.

The blog also describes how IHS data and research helped:

- Communities United preserve foreclosed 2 to 4s and keep them affordable in Albany Park, Austin, Belmont Cragin, Roseland, and West Ridge
- Urban Land Institute assess opportunities for accessory dwelling units in Chicago
- Southwest Organizing Project identify vacant properties and target outreach to stabilize vulnerable homeowners on the Southwest Side
- Greater Chatham Initiative keep tabs on the Post-Recession housing market and investor buying activity in Chatham, Avalon Park, Auburn Gresham, and Greater Grand Crossing
- LUCHA and Logan Square Neighborhood Association identify hotspots in Logan Square with rising housing prices and concentrations of residents at-risk of displacement
- IHS and The Preservation Compact at Community Investment Corporation facilitate The Preservation Lab, an initiative that convenes community practitioners and policymakers focused on preserving the existing affordable supply in Chicago