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Recovery Funds at Work
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, thousands of the nation’s public housing units for lower-income residents are being redeveloped and modernized as a result of $1 billion in grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. CHA received nearly $144 million in formula funds, $66 million in competitive grants and is partnering with sister city agencies to apply for an additional $201.1 million.
- Category I: Addressing the Needs of the Elderly or Persons with Disabilities
- Catergory II: Public Housing Transformation
- Category III: Gap Financing for Financially-Stalled Projects
- Category IV: Creation of a Energy-Efficient, Green Communities
- Youth Ready Chicago
- Neighborhoood Stabilization Program 2
- Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
- Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant
- Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
Formula-funded Projects
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CHA received approximately $143.9 million in recovery funds through an initial HUD formula for grants. With this portion of stimulus funds, CHA is rehabilitating 1,197 units of public housing, demolishing unsafe, vacant buildings and enhancing property safety and security. ARRA contract awards follow CHA's procurement process and are posted regularly to this site. Click the map to the left or read below to get more information on CHA construction projects funded by the Recovery Act. |
Rehabilitation Projects
Dearborn Homes (Project started January 11, 2010)
- Comprehensive rehab of 172 units of housing for Phase IV development
- Projected 250 new jobs to be created
- Contract Awardee: Walsh Construction
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $28.9 million
Wentworth Gardens & Annex (Project started May 13, 2009)
- Completion of rehab of 357 units of family housing
- Projected 25 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardees
- Oakk Construction
- Coleman Development
- All Chicago Construction
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $1.9 million
Kenmore Senior Apartments (Project started May 12, 2009)
- Comprehensive rehab of 100 units of senior housing
- Includes energy-efficient improvements
- Projected 150 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardees
- Chicago Commercial Contractors
- Walsh Construction
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $16.8 million
Lawndale Apartments (Project started April 24, 2009)
- Comprehensive rehab of 62 units of family housing
- Projected 90 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardee: Walsh Construction
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $8.3 million
Unit Accessibilty Upgrades (Project started June 23, 2009)
- ADA upgrades to 55 scattered-site, family units for people with disabilities
- ADA upgrades to 169 senior units for elderly population
- Projected 100 new jobs to be created
- Contracts awarded to various contractors from IDIQ* pool
- IDIQ - Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $6.4 million
Washington Park Low-Rises (Project started April 3, 2009)
- Comprehensive rehab of 42 units of family housing for Phase IV development
- Projected 90 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardee: Oakk Construction
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $8.2 million
Altgeld Gardens and Phillip Murray Homes (Project start date TBD)
- Comprehensive rehab of 120 units of family housing for Phase IV development
- Projected 240 new jobs to be created
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $39.7 million
Demolition Projects
ABLA Homes (Project started May 20, 2009)
- Demolition of 22 vacant, impaired rowhouses
- Projected 17 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardee: Delta Demolition
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $1.1 million
Harold Ickes Homes (Project started July 27, 2009)
- Demolition of six vacant, impaired buildings
- Projected 30 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardees
- Heneghan Demolition
- Delta Demolition
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $3.2 million
Non-dwelling building (Project start date TBD)
- Demolition of one vacant administrative building at 4440 S. Cottage Grove
- Projected 5 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardee: Heneghan Demolition
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $137,000
Safety & Security Projects
Security Camera System (Projected start date Sept. 2009)
- Installation of security cameras throughout CHA's portfolio
- Projected 12,609 units will benefit from camera system
- Includes all senior-designated properties
- Connection of cameras to Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications
- Projected 115 new jobs to be created
- Contract awardee: Siemens Building Technologies
- ARRA-Funded Amount - $22.6 million
Competitive Grants
Through the Public Housing Capital Fund, an additional $995 million in competitive grants is available to public housing authorities in four categories. These funds cannot be used for operations or rental assistance and will be awarded by competition for priority investments, including investments that leverage private sector funding or financing for renovations and energy conservation. Public housing authories must give priority to capital projects that award contracts based on bids within 120 days from the date the funds are made available. Public housing agencies shall prioritize capital projects that are already underway or included in the required 5-year capital fund plans.
The funding categories are as follows:
- Category I: Addressing the Needs of the Elderly or Persons with Disabilities
- Category II: Public Housing Transformation
- Category III: Gap Financing for Financially-Stalled Projects
- Category IV: Creation of Energy-Efficient, Green Communities
Category I: Addressing the Needs of the Elderly or Persons with Disabilities
The purpose of Category I grants is to address the needs of the elderly or persons with disabilities through either improvements to public housing units or community facilities, which attract or promote the coordinated delivery of supportive services.
National Funding Available: $95 million
Funding Requested: $22.14 million for 26 proposed projects affecting 334 units of housing across various portfolios throughout the city.
Application Submitted: June 22, 2009
Application Status: CHA was not awarded any funds through the Category I competetive grant process.
Category II: Public Housing Transformation
The purpose of Category II grants is to provide funding to redevelop distressed public housing that is a blighting influence on either a stable, well-functioning community or a community targeted for revitalization by the locality. These grants address blighting factors either through renovation of the public housing, demolition and redevelopment of new public housing or enforcing a mixture of public housing and non-public housing on the site.
National Funding Available: $100 million
Funding Requested: $9.99 million for the proposed redevlopment of Ogden North
Application Submitted: June 22, 2009
Application Status: Received HUD approval Sept. 3, 2009 for 100 percent of funding requested
The proposed project includes the first phase of a mixed-income/mixed-use development located in the North Lawndale community area. The current complex will be demolished and replaced with a unit mix of roughly one-third public housing, one-third affordable housing and one-third market-rate housing.
The site is adjacent to Mt. Sinai Hospital, which recently negotiated a land transfer agreement with the City and CHA to build a ambulatory-care facility nearby and eventually expand and modernize its campus. The project will bring more than 300 units of housing to North Lawndale, including 137 public housing units, as well as much-needed employment opportunities and health care.
Category III: Gap Financing for Projects Stalled due to Financing Issues
The purpose of Category III grants is to provide funding to fill the capital investment gap for redevelopment or replacement housing projects, which are ready to proceed, but are stalled due to the inability to obtain anticipated private capital.
National Funding Available: $200 million
Funding Requested: $15.55 million for two proposed projects
Application Submitted: June 22, 2009
Application Status: In September 2009, CHA received approval for an $8.2 million grant for Phase 2A redevelopment of Parkside of Old Town. This project will provide 112 units of replacement housing in this Near North mixed-income development.
Category IV: Creation of an Energy-Efficient Green Community
The purpose of Category IV grants is to increase energy efficiency and environmental performance of public housing properties, and thereby reduce energy costs, generate resident and PHA energy savings and reduce green house gas emissions caused by energy consumption. This funding will help produce benchmark projects that demonstrate energy-efficient and healthy living environments; lowered utitlity costs; conservation of energy, water, materials and other resources; utilization of renewable energy resouces where feasible; and enhancement of the health of local and regional ecosystems.
Available funding is evenly divided into two sub-categories: Substantial Rehabilitation and Moderate Rehabilitation.
National Funding Available: $600 million
Funding Requested: $60 million for three substantial rehabilitation projects and 23 moderate rehabilitation projects.
Application Submitted: July 16, 2009
Application Status: On Sept. 23, 2009, CHA received approval for 25 grants totaling more than $47.8 million for 25 proposed rehabilitation and redevelopment projects.
Property Name |
Amount Requested |
Units Impacted |
Funding Granted? |
| Pomeroy Apts. | $18,301,170 | 120 | Yes |
| West End, Phase 2 | $7,337,783 | 112 | Yes |
| Maplewood | $2,183,400 | 86 | No |
| Albany Apts. | $956,819 | 350 | Yes |
| Washington Park, Bousfield Apts. | $382,994 | 92 | Yes |
| Major Lawrence Apts. | $908,374 | 193 | Yes |
| Minnie Riperton Apts. | $672,915 | 339 | Yes |
| Firman House & Center for New Horizons | $77,998 | N/A | Yes |
| Abraham Lincoln Center |
$484,942 |
N/A | Yes |
| Flannery Apts. | $1,297,908 | 252 | Yes |
| Zelda Ormes Apts. | $604,319 | 269 | Yes |
| William Castleman Apts. | $1,029,579 | 201 | Yes |
| Apartamentos Las Americas | $442,825 | 212 | Yes |
| Lake Parc Place |
$1,413,000 |
280 |
Yes |
| Judge Green Apts. | $485,204 |
154 |
Yes |
| Kenneth Campbell Apts. |
$573,071 |
165 |
Yes |
| Mary Jane Richardson Apts. |
$659,721 |
174 |
Yes |
| Judge Slater Apts. & Annex |
$1,155,824 |
407 |
Yes |
| Vivian Gordon Harsh Apts. |
$978,787 |
124 |
Yes |
| Irene McCoy Gaines Apts. |
$905,043 |
151 |
Yes |
| Vivian Carter Apts. |
$699,785 |
224 |
Yes |
| Ella Flagg Young Apts. |
$706,593 |
235 |
Yes |
| Mahalia Jackson Apts. |
$499,406 |
350 |
Yes |
| Trumbull Park Homes |
$5,358,415 |
462 |
Yes |
| Patrick Sullivan Apts. |
$1,205,158 |
482 |
Yes |
| Fannie Emanuel APts | $742,056 | 181 | Yes |
| Total Funded |
$47,879,689 | 5,529 |
Partnership Grants & Applications
In addition to formula and competitive grants, CHA is also partnering with several City of Chicago sister agencies to apply for $201.08 million in stimulus funding. These requests for additional funds seek to enhance the city by modernizing internet capabilities, encouraging development in a number of communities and employing thousands of Chicagoans.Youth Ready Chicago
Through the Workforce Investment Act for Youth, the Chicago Department of Family and Supportive Services received more than $17.3 million to place eligible young people in summer jobs. As one of 50 DFSS-designated hubs, CHA received $1.83 million to place 903 adolescents in opportunities that provided meaningful work experience. Job opportunities included clerical work for social services agencies, garden beautification projects at CHA senior buildings and vocational training with technological resources.
DFSS submitted its application in April 2009 and received approval shortly thereafter. In total, Youth Ready Chicago helped more than 7,000 teenagers find summer work and provide support for Chicago families.
Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2
Through a competitive grant process, the Chicago Department of Community Development received $98 million for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2. This program addresses foreclosed and abandoned properties in local communities.
NSP2 funds will build on NSP1 efforts, which are centered on the acquisition and rehabilitation of vacant, foreclosed residential properties in 25 targeted community areas. For NSP2, the city will target funds in portions of 12 community areas in an effort to maximize available resources that address foreclosed homes in Chicago. Eight of these community areas are NSP1 areas of greatest need, and four of them are new additions, totaling to 29 community areas identified as targets for either NSP1 or NSP2 funding.
Under this initiative, CHA will partner with DCD to acquire 120 foreclosed single-family homes containing three or more bedrooms. CHA will rehabilitate these properties and add the units to its scattered-site family public housing portfolio under the Property Investment Initiative.
DCD submitted its application July 2009 and received approval for the funding request in January 2010.
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
The National Telecommunication and Information Administration's competitive Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) provides $4.7 billion nationally in competitive grants to develop and expand broadband services to underserved areas and improve access to broadband by public agencies.
The city's broadband expansion efforts are a part of its Digital Excellence Initiative, a comprehensive program to ensure that all Chicagoans have the technological tools to compete and thrive in the 21st century.
With the City of Chicago, CHA applied for $100 million in BTOP funding to bring broadband wireless technology to more than 10,000 family and senior housing units.
The City submitted its application in September 2009 and is awaiting approval or denial of funding request.
Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant
The City of Chicago has received $27 million in Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Recovery Act. CHA will receive $1 million in EECBG funds from the city, which will be used to perform energy efficiency retrofits in scattered sites properties that are already undergoing ADA upgrade improvements.
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
The purpose of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant is to create and retain jobs, while creating community-based models to prevent or reduce crime. On behalf of the Altgeld-Riverdale Community (ARC) Partnership, CHA requested and received $250,000 to fund two years of programming targeted to serve residents of Riverdale. ARC will use this grant to create jobs that increase community and youth opportunities as well as coordinate with the Chicago Police Department to increase safety and reduce criminal activity.