Citizens for Neighborhood Stabilization

January 15, 2010

Hon. Ray Suarez Alderman, 31st Ward Chairman of the Committee on Housing & Real Estate 4502 W. Fullerton Ave. Chicago, IL 60639

Dear Alderman Suarez:

In January 2009, HUD approved the City of Chicago’s plan to allocate $55,238,017 Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds with the expectation of leveraging an additional $58 million in private financing. Program activities were to include acquisition of abandoned foreclosed properties to be rehabbed for rental and for sale housing, demolition of dilapidated properties, land banking, new construction, homebuyer financing and administration.

The City indicated that it would use NSP funding to acquire 425 properties to be rehabbed. Of this number, 150 would be rehabbed for rental units, and 275 would be rehabbed for homeownership. An additional 100 properties would be acquired for demolition. These properties were to be land banked and the resulting vacant lots were to be sold to developers and nonprofit agencies, who would construct new homes. The City anticipated that 60 of the 100 properties acquired for demolition would be eventually developed for new homes within the plan period. HUD guidelines require that NSP funds be committed within 18 months. We are very concerned that public records indicate that after about a year, the City has received $55 million funding for NSP 1, but only 12 acquisitions have been made as of December 31, 2009. We have provided a copy of an article outlining the status of the NSP program based upon publicly available information.

We, the undersigned, representing citizens and community based organizations across the City of Chicago, respectfully request that you would host a public hearing to determine the status of the City’s $55 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP 1), and its plans for an additional $98 million (NSP 2), awarded January 14, 2010. Ideally, the hearing will provide an opportunity for City staff to make a presentation outlining their progress towards the program’s goals and objectives, and identify those factors that seem to be hindering them from implementing the program within the proposed timeline. Likewise, there should be opportunities for public comments that would allow stakeholders to share their experiences with mortgage foreclosure and the NSP program. At the end of the day, we’d like to see a set of recommendations as to how the City Department of Community Development can make the necessary improvements and move forward.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Valerie F. Leonard at 773-521-3137 or [email protected]. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

CHICAGO CITIZENS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION (See attached list of organizations and individuals) Chicago Citizens for Neighborhood Stabilization

The following organizations and individuals are in support of the January 15, 2010 request to Alderman Ray Suarez requesting a City Council Hearing on the status of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Adjoa Barbara J. Baker, Midwest Region Rep., N'COBRA, Co chairperson Chicago Chapter, National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, N'COBRA, Citywide Leroy Bowers, 4th Ward Ms. Willie Mae Bowling, President, United Block Club Council, 24th Ward Cynthia L. Bowman 3rd Ward resident; activist in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 20th Wards Bronzeville Area Residents' and Commerce Council, 2nd Ward, 3rd Ward, 4th Ward Roxanne L. Brown, 4th Ward William N. Burch, 15th Ward JoAnn Burl, Founder & CEO Jeanette's Joy Community Services, Roseland, 9th Ward, 34th Ward Chicago Westside Branch NAACP, 2nd Ward, 22nd Ward, 24th Ward, 27th Ward, 28th Ward, 29th Ward, 37th Ward Ron Carter, Chairman, Black Wall Street-Chicago, Citywide Arness Dancy, Pres/CEO, Englewood Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc., 3rd Ward, 6th Ward, 15th Ward,16th Ward, 17th Ward, 20th Ward James Dean, Executive Director, Autumnus, Inc. 42nd Ward; 4th Ward resident Sel Dunlap, 24th Ward Gerald Frazier ,15th Ward Sandra Glenn, Executive Director, Prevention Force Family Center, 24th Ward, 29th Ward, 37th Ward Dorothy Goldsmith, 24th Ward Millie Goldsmith, 24th Ward The Grand Boulevard Federation, 2nd Ward, 3rd Ward, 4th Ward Demetrice Griffin Rosalind Henderson Harris, 5th Ward Derrick Harris, President and CEO, North Lawndale LSC Federation, 2nd Ward, 22nd Ward, 24th Ward, 27th Ward, 28th Ward Janice Hobson, Bradley Youth Center, 24th Ward Bobbie Johnson, President, Rosenwald Commons Land Trust, 3rd Ward Arlene Jones, Austin Weekly News, 37th Ward Rose Joshua, President, Chicago Southside NAACP, (All Southside Wards) Trudi Langendorf, 50th Ward Lawndale Alliance, 2nd Ward, 22nd Ward, 24th Ward, 27th Ward, 28th Ward Minister Sylvia Jones Valerie F. Leonard, 24th Ward Susan P. Malone, Esq., 47th Ward Aviva Miriam Patt, 35th Ward Victoria Quero, 25th Ward Donna Ramey, 20th Ward Rickey L. Robertson, 5th Ward Janis Robinson, Park Manor Neighbor's Association, 6th Ward Mahaley Sommerville, 24th Ward Richard Townsell, 24th Ward Michael Trout, Executive Director, YMEN, 24th Ward; Lawndale resident, 22nd Ward Dwayne Truss, 29th Ward Rev. Anibal Vega, CEO, The Center for Community Development Initiatives, 16th Ward, 20th Ward Dorothy Walton, Community Activist, “The Fighting Fifth”, 2nd Ward, 24th Ward, 27th Ward, 28th Ward Rev. Stanley Watkins, Chief of Staff, Office of Rep. Bobby L. Rush; Wards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 34 Dorothy Williams, 24th Ward Attorney Melissa Williams, 24th Ward Savannah Williams, 3rd Ward Gladys Woodson, United Block Club Council 22nd Ward, 24th Ward

Distribution

Copies of this letter have been sent to the following: Senator Richard Durbin Senator Roland Burris Congressman Danny K. Davis Congressman Luis Gutierrez Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. Congressman Bobby Rush State Senator Jacqueline Collins State Senator Rickey Hendon State Senator Mattie Hunter State Senator Emil Jones, III State Senator James Meeks State Senator Kwame Raoul State Senator Heather Steans State Senator Donne E. Trotter State Representative LaShawn K. Ford State Representative Connie Howard State Representative Arthur L. Turner Cook County Board President Todd Stroger Cook County Commissioner Jerry Butler Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele Mayor Richard M. Daley Alderman Manuel Flores 1st Ward Alderman Robert Fioretti , 2nd Ward Alderman , 3rd Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, 4th Ward Alderman , 5th Ward Alderman Freddrenna Lyle, 6th Ward Alderman Sandi Jackson, 7th Ward Alderman Michelle Harris, 8th Ward Alderman , 9th Ward Alderman James Pope, 10th Ward Alderman James Balcer, 11th Ward Alderman , 12th Ward Alderman Frank Olivo, 13th Ward Alderman Edward Burke,14th Ward Alderman Toni Foulkes, 15th Ward Alderman JoAnn Thompson, 16th Ward Alderman Latasha Thomas, 17th Ward Alderman Lona Lane, 18th Ward Alderman Virginia "Ginger" Rugai, 19th Ward Alderman Willie Cochran, 20th Ward Alderman , 21st Ward Alderman Ricardo Munoz, 22nd Ward Alderman Michael Zalewski, 23rd Ward Alderman Sharon Dixon, 24th Ward Alderman Daniel Solis, 25th Ward Alderman , 26th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett, 27th Ward Alderman Ed Smith, 28th Ward Alderman Isaac Carothers, 29th Ward Alderman , 30th Ward Alderman Ray Suarez, 31st Ward Alderman , 32nd Ward Alderman Richard Mell,33rd Ward Alderman Carrie Austin 34th Ward Alderman Rey Colon, 35th Ward Alderman John Rice, 36th Ward Alderman , 37th Ward Alderman Thomas Allen, 38th Ward Alderman Margaret Laurino,39th Ward Alderman Patrick O'Connor, 40th Ward Alderman Brian Doherty, 41st Ward Alderman Brendan, Reilly 42nd Ward Alderman Vi Daley, 43rd Ward Alderman Thomas Tunney, 44th Ward Alderman Patrick Levar, 45th Ward Alderman Helen Shiller, 46th Ward Alderman Eugene Shulter, 47th Ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith, 48th Ward Alderman Joe Moore, 49th Ward Alderman Bernard Stone, 50th Ward Acting Commissioner Christine Raguso, Department of Community Development Members of the Press Various E-Mail Distribution Lists