What does Section 3 mean when doing business with CHA? What is a Section 3 business? This resource is also available as a downloadable PDF.

You can find more information online. For assistance please call 773-342-WORC (9672).

Section 3 (S3) businesses are:

  • 51% owned by a low-income person(s)
  • 51% owned by CHA resident(s) or Housing Choice Voucher program participant(s)
  • A business where 75% of the labor hours are performed by low-income persons

CHA provides various opportunities for Section 3 businesses to work with CHA:

  • Become part of a pre-qualified contractor pool
    • Assigned capital maintenance work on a rotational basis
    • CHA issues RFPs for the pre-qualified pool every 2-4 years.
    • Currently closed to S3 businesses not already in the existing pool
  • Respond to CHA solicitations
    • All S3 businesses can apply to solicitations
    • Some solicitations are directed to S3 businesses (e.g., vacant lot landscaping, snow removal)
  • Apply to work as a sub-contractor for CHA vendors
    • CHA construction vendors are required to subcontract 10% of the contract value to S3 businesses
    • Vendors for professional services are required to subcontract 3% of the contract value to S3 businesses
  • Respond to CHA’s Professional Property Management (PPM) company’s solicitations
    • PPMs are required to solicit to S3 businesses for unit turn work

About Section 3 | Section 3 FAQs

Charles A. Hayes
Family Investment Center ("The FIC")
4859 S Wabash
Chicago, IL 60615
773.342.WORC (9672)

worc@thecha.org