Yearly Archives: 2017

SOUTH SIDE TEENS SHOWCASE TALENTS AT WINDY CITY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Four teens from Chicago’s South Side are using their creativity, and an opportunity created by a unique Chicago partnership, to flip the narrative on violence. At this year’s Windy City International Film Festival, these teens are shining the spotlight on the lives behind the headlines with their powerful documentary film Rise Up which depicts how violence has impacted their lives

Durbin, Duckworth Press Trump To Fully Fund Fastlane Grants

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on President Trump to fully fund the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) fiscal year 2017 FASTLANE grants after the Administration announced that DOT will hold funding for large project awardees and call for new and separate applications with “updated” criteria. This latest delay of much needed transportation grant funding by the Trump Administration will directly impact transportation infrastructure projects across Illinois, including CREATE’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project in Chicago and Merchants Railroad Bridge Project in the St. Louis region.

CITY OFFICIALS JOIN RESIDENTS TO CELEBRATE GRAND OPENING OF CITY GARDENS

Brinshore-Michaels, a private-sector development partner of the Chicago Housing Authority, today hosted an official grand opening ceremony for City Gardens, a new mixed-income rental community with abundant green features located on the former site of the Maplewood Courts public housing complex on the city’s near West Side

BOST STATEMENT ON EPA’S WATERS OF THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL

U.S. Representative Mike Bost issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would withdraw the controversial Obama-era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule

The SEAT Act Moves Forward in Congress

Yesterday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee agreed by voice vote to include an amendment that would require the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to establish a minimum seat size on commercial airlines as well as a minimum distance between rows of seats. This amendment is based on the bipartisan, bicameral Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act and will be included in the broader FAA Reauthorization bill.

BOST RALLIES CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO DEMAND ACTION ON ALEXANDER COUNTY’S HOUSING CRISIS

U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) led a push in Congress Friday for answers regarding alleged corruption at the Alexander County Housing Authority, the same day as the House approved an amendment Bost introduced to help ease the transition of Cairo residents and other Americans who have been displaced from a public housing authority to a new location.

North Shore and Barrington Housing Markets Remain Steady

Midway through the second quarter, the North Shore and Barrington area housing markets continue to offer buyers what they are looking for in a home and sales in these areas reflect that. Housing data for May shows the number of new listings and median sales prices slightly fell from the same period in 2016, while closed sales rose substantially, followed in numbers by homes under contract, according to the North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS® (NSBAR).

CHA Board approves loans for co-located housing and Chicago Public Library Branch developments

The Chicago Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved loans for two developments that will expand affordable housing opportunities in North Side communities that include co-located Chicago Public Library (CPL) branches in Irving Park and West Ridge and investment in developments that will expand housing opportunities in neighborhoods across Chicago

LOFTS ON ARTHINGTON

Community residents joined Mercy Housing Lakefront and Alderman Michael Scott, Jr., (24th Ward) along with development partners today to celebrate the grand opening of the Lofts on Arthington, the former Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog printing building that has been adapted into 181 affordable homes for working families in the Homan Square community on Chicago’s West Side.

Hultgren Protects Access to Affordable Housing

U.S Representatives Randy Hultgren (R-IL-14) and Gwen Moore (D-WI-04) have introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) System by preserving access to mortgage credit and affordable housing assistance for millions of Americans.

Foster Statement on Passage of CHOICE Act

The CHOICE Act is a perfect example of the kind of legislation that caused the Great Recession, when millions of hard-working families lost their homes, jobs, and their hopes for economic security and well-being. In the emergency response to the financial crisis, I worked with Barney Frank and my other colleagues to make sure it would never happen again.

QUIGLEY QUESTIONS HUD SECRETARY BEN CARSON ON ATTACKS ON LGBTQ HOUSING RESOURCES

U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement after he questioned HUD Secretary Ben Carson during today’s hearing

Flood Insurance Must Protect Homeowners and Taxpayers Alike, says Hultgren

U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) urged reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to ensure taxpayers are shielded from unnecessary risk at a hearing today on “Flood Insurance Reform: A Taxpayer’s Perspective.” Many Illinois homeowners and businesses rely on NFIP to protect themselves from disaster after a flood, so the program must be changed so it benefits those who need it most. Reliable data and accurate mapping are essential to reflect the risks to communities located on flood plains.

Durbin Pushes HUD Secretary Carson For His Support For The Families Impacted By Cairo...

During a hearing of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson to commit to ensuring that the 183 affected households living at Elmwood and McBride housing complexes in Cairo, Illinois, will have the full support of HUD as they transition to new housing
Mortgage Cyber Conf 4

State Regulator Hosts Chicago Mortgage Cybersecurity Conference

Illinois licensed professionals on the front line of the mortgage and real estate closing process descended upon the James R. Thompson Center this week to learn more about cyber and data security. A free conference hosted by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) provided those in attendance with the opportunity to hear from industry experts, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigations on how cybersecurity issues can compromise the real estate closing process.

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Investigation by CHA and HUD Inspectors General ends with guilty plea...

The Chicago Housing Authority will receive restitution for money stolen by a former contractor and her husband after the pair pleaded guilty to stealing funds intended for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, a crime that was exposed following an investigation by the CHA’s Office of the Inspector General.

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Make Your Garage Door Quieter

How to Make Your Garage Door Quieter

Did you know that the structural noise from a garage can be anywhere from 5 decibels to 20 decibels above the background noise levels? And if you are wondering how much change would a 20-decibel increase make, then consider this – with a rise of 20 decibels, the sound energy increases by a factor of 100!