Blocking the Bulldozers

Earlier this summer, Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative team member Tom Vlodek discovered that the two workers cottages next to his house on Whipple Street in Logan Square had been sold by the children of a long-time resident to a developer. Fearing the houses would be demolished, Tom erected a sign on his property in protest. The sign calls attention to the wasteful choice of demolition of these houses during a time when affordable housing is in short supply.

Whipple Cottages

The houses are part of a row of eight frame cottages built in 1892 and 1893. Around the corner, a small frame house behind one of the cottages once held a little neighborhood store. The three buildings are not in disrepair and could be rehabbed instead of demolished. The choice to demolish the houses is a loss for the historic character of the neighborhood as well as loss of "missing middle" modest-sized housing which is lacking throughout the city.

Demolition permits for the three houses were issued just last week.

Demand for housing has increased in many American cities, while the supply of new homes built has fallen behind for decades. A passerby might assume that these three small single-family homes will be replaced by denser multi-unit buildings to make more efficient use of urban space in a high-demand neighborhood. In a CWCI analysis of demolitions in Logan Square, which has some of the highest numbers of teardowns in the city, we discovered that this is not usually the case. Instead, most cottages torn down are replaced by larger, more-expensive single-family homes. Under current conditions, redevelopment does not lead to higher housing density, but does lead to dramatically higher cost of housing.

A new ordinance proposed this summer and just passed by the Chicago City Council on September 18 seeks to address the high rate of teardowns in Logan Square and surrounding neighborhoods as well as the rapidly increasing housing costs which drive out long-time residents. The Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance expands on a previous ordinance centered along the 606 trail which was passed in 2021. That ordinance charged fees to developers tearing down homes within several blocks of the 606 trail starting at $15,000 or $5,000 per lost unit of housing. A secondary ordinance prevented construction of new single-family houses on blocks that were predominantly multi-unit housing. Both of these ordinances expire at the end of 2024.

Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance

The new ordinance covers a much larger area and increases demolition penalties to $60,000 per building, or $20,000 per lost unit, whichever is greater. Fees collected are placed in two housing trusts to fund preservation of affordable housing in the neighborhood. Additional provisions prevent deconversions of two-flats into single-family homes and adjust zoning rules to allow construction of new two-unit buildings. Most of the area covered by the ordinance is currently zoned RS-3 which previously allowed only single-family construction. Another provision patterned after the 2021 Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance gives renters first access to purchase a building if it comes up for sale. The ordinance includes a provision to revise or adjust its specifications after five years.

2-unit cottage

The provisions in the ordinance preserving two-flat housing will impact more than just the common flat-roofed buildings which may come to mind. In Logan Square and Avondale, a significant number of workers cottages include an extra apartment in the basement or attic. These owner-occupied two-unit cottages are a valuable component of affordable rental housing in this high-demand area. Preserving the availability of these apartments helps meet the need for affordable rental housing and density in a desirable neighborhood. In general, older buildings are known as "naturally-occuring affordable housing" because rental costs are cheaper than in newly-built apartments. Single-family cottages, too, provide a modest-sized option for home-buyers in the area. The steep demolition fees of the proposed ordinance will help tip the economic equation toward rehabbing existing houses instead of replacing them with new luxury housing.

The Logan Square neighborhood has seen some of the highest numbers of teardowns in Chicago since at least 2017. Workers cottages are the most commonly targeted house type in these demolitions. Nearly a hundred cottages have been demolished in Logan Square in the past five years. The loss of these historic houses represents a loss of neighborhood history and character, but also a loss of modest-sized housing which is in short supply throughout many Chicago neighborhoods. The ordinance may have come too late to save the two cottages on Whipple Street, but in the future will help to slow the assault of the bulldozers against workers cottages and preserve the density and affordability of housing available on the Northwest Side.

More details about the Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance can be found on Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa's website.

Talking up Workers Cottages

Thank you to everyone who came by our table to chat at the Logan Square and Wicker Park farmers markets in July and August!

Farmers Market

We were happy to hear from cottage owners tell what they love about their houses, encourage prospective buyers to consider older homes, and to spread the word about Chicago's unique cottages which deserve preservation rather than demolition.

Look for our table at the upcoming OctoberFiesta at St. Paul's Church in Heart of Chicago at 2127 W. 22nd Place on October 5 from 3-6pm. Stop by to say hello!

Out on the Street

The Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative continues to gather detailed information about the character of workers cottages located throughout our city. This fall, we will be conducting a field survey in Hermosa. Those familiar with this Northwest Side neighborhood know that workers cottages make up a great percentage of houses here. Our survey will gather precise data on the number and condition of these cottages.

Hermosa Cottages

We are looking for several volunteers who would like to assist our survey in October. Volunteers will be trained on how to identify workers cottages before heading out on the street in teams over several days or weeks to complete the survey. If you are interested participating in the project, please contact Jack Rocha to find out more information.

Hermosa Cottages

Homeowner Resource Workshop

Cottage owners will want to mark their calendars for our first ever workers cottage homeowner resources workshop to be held on Wednesday October 23, 2024 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Reed's Local at 3017 W. Belmont Ave.

The event will feature a variety of specialists providing information on remodeling projects and repairs, property taxes and appeals, house history research and other topics. Anyone thinking about a home project is invited to chat, get tips and references as well as exchange ideas about living in a workers cottage. Look for further updates about the event coming soon on our Facebook and Instagram pages!

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