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The
Homeless Situation Around Chicago
- In
most Chicago communities in the 1990s, rents rose faster
than incomes despite the fact that, on the whole, Chicago's
median income rose faster than rent.
- Nearly
one-third of Chicago renters were paying more than 35
percent of their income for housing in 2000; another 20
percent were paying more than half.
- Compared
with Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC,
Chicago saw the highest percentage change in median rent
(28 percent) from 1990 to 2000.
- The
Chicago region is not adding new housing where it is adding
new jobs. The communities that added the most jobs between
1990 and 2000 added only a fraction as much housing.
- Compared
to 10 other major U.S. cities, Chicago had the lowest
percentage increase (8 percent) in rental units between
1970 and 2000, which is less than half of the next lowest
ranking city, New York (19 percent).
- Since
1995, 16,068 units of public housing have been demolished,
and only 1,296 new units have been created.
- The
wait for Section 8 vouchers in Chicago is 84 months. The
waiting list for housing choice vouchers has been closed
in Chicago since 1997 and is not expected to open again
until 2005 at the earliest.
- In
Chicago, only 10 percent of affordable-housing need is
met.
Source:
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless website
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