This is a Call for Responsible, Context-Sensitive Affordable Housing. This is not what is planned for 3251 W. Division Street.

We support affordable housing and recognize Chicago’s urgent need for more housing options. Our concerns are not about whether affordable housing should be built — but how and where it is built, and whether it reflects responsible planning, fairness, and neighborhood context.

It is important to support the efforts of our neighborhood by signing this petition, no matter where you live. Academics who studied cities all over the USA show that the overconcentration of subsidized housing in any neighborhood can have negative consequences for property owners and the residents of subsidized housing. We already have 100 subsidized units in the immediate area.

We, residents, and property owners in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, respectfully ask City officials and decision-makers to reconsider the proposed zoning change and development plan for 3251 W. Division Street.

Sign this petition and share it with others who might agree that wise, fair and reasonable development needs to be prioritized.

What is being proposed

An affordable housing developer, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation (HHDC), is seeking a zoning change to construct a six-story, 44-unit, 100% subsidized rental building on a parcel currently zoned for neighborhood commercial use (B1-1). The proposal includes:

• No ground-floor commercial or business use
• Only 16 on-site parking spaces
• A building that would be the tallest and most dominant structure in the immediate area

Why residents are concerned

1. Scale and design
The proposed building is out of character with surrounding single-family homes and 2- and 3-flats. Its height and mass would dominate the streetscape rather than blend into it. Residents have repeatedly expressed a preference for context-sensitive design that fits the neighborhood.

2. Concentration of subsidized housing
Within a half block of the proposed site, there are already 100 or more subsidized rental units. Adding 44 more units would push the share of subsidized housing in this half-block area to roughly half — or more — of all dwelling units.

Peer-reviewed academic research on Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments shows that outcomes depend heavily on neighborhood context, scale, design, and concentration. Large, concentrated developments in moderate-income or mixed-income neighborhoods can suppress surrounding property values, particularly when they are out of scale with existing buildings.

3. Loss of neighborhood commercial zoning
Changing the zoning to 100% residential would permanently eliminate the largest remaining business-zoned parcel on this stretch of Division Street — limiting future opportunities for small businesses, services, and amenities that residents need and want.

4. Parking and infrastructure strain
This is a commuter neighborhood with limited street parking and seasonal overnight parking restrictions. Providing 16 parking spaces for 44 units — potentially 90+ new bedrooms — is insufficient and risks worsening an already strained situation.

5. Precedent and fairness
Less than two years ago, a nearly identical proposal across the street was withdrawn after residents organized and voiced similar concerns. Granting a zoning change now, despite continued opposition from nearby stakeholders, raises concerns about consistency, transparency, and fairness in the planning process.

What residents are asking for

We are not asking anyone to reject affordable housing. We are asking for a better plan, one that includes:

• Mixed-income housing rather than 100% subsidized units
• Reduced height and unit count
• Ground-floor commercial or community-serving uses
• Design that fits the surrounding neighborhood
• A more balanced distribution of affordable housing citywide

Why this matters

For many of us, our homes are our primary investment. Over the past several years, most of us have experienced a significant increase in property taxes. It is unreasonable to ask residents to absorb higher taxes while supporting a development that research clearly indicates is likely to suppress property values and limit neighborhood vitality (and may have already had that affect).

Humboldt Park is one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods. Responsible planning should stabilize and protect that diversity, not risk undermining it through over-concentration and poor design choices.

Our request

We urge City officials, including the 26th Ward Alderman, Jessie Fuentes, to:

• Pause the proposed zoning change
• Meaningfully engage nearby residents
• Require a revised, context-sensitive proposal that balances affordability with neighborhood stability

We believe Chicago can — and must — do affordable housing the right way