HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo traveled to Chicago to join Mayor Richard Daley, Congressman Bobby Rush, Congressman Danny Davis, Senator Richard Durbin and CHA residents to announce the agreement to expedite the CHA's plan over the next 10 years and to protect residents. I commend Mayor Daley for his willingness to propose a bold and innovative plan to change the face of public housing in Chicago, and Secretary Cuomo for forging an agreement that protects public housing residents while providing substantial flexibility to the City. I applaud Mayor Daley, Congressmen Bobby Rush and Danny Davis for their leadership and their efforts to work together in transforming public housing throughout the City. The City rightly wants redevelopment to move quickly.
Residents are understandably concerned about losing their homes and being forced to move.
Our challenge was to make the plan work for both the City and the residents, or ultimately it will not work at all. Today's agreement provides the City with the flexibility the CHA needs to move forward, while protecting CHA families during the demolition and relocation. The Resident Protection Agreement approved by the CHA was sought by HUD, CHA residents, and Congressmen Rush and Davis. This agreement will ensure that residents receive legally enforceable guarantees of HUD-subsidized housing both during and after the demolition, relocation and rebuilding of public housing. Some residents will get rental assistance subsidies under the Section 8 program, and some will get the opportunity to move into new public housing.