>> some >> Chicagoans could be getting additional neighbors living in so-called granny flats.

measure passed last year by city Council ease restrictions on additional dwelling units.

80 use also known as coach Houses.

The ordinance took effect on April first allowing 34 of Chicago's 50 wards to build ad use the move more than doubles the amount of city parcels eligible from 116,000 to 320,000 and is one of the city's efforts to create more affordable housing.

Here to tell us more are Alderman Bennett, Lawson of the 44th Ward representing neighborhoods like Wrigleyville and Lake Few and sponsor of the ordinance.

And Stephanie Bahama co-lead volunteer at abundant Housing, Illinois.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

Thank Alderman you introduced it was a different ordinance, but it was on your first day as a member of the city Council.

Tell us about the atu expansion and what it seeks to accomplish or sure.

I was one of 3 ordinances I put on my very first day that value statements at the time I wasn't trying to be the one running the ordinance of certainly that's a knew would change.

>> But basically I wanted to take what had been a successful pilot that we saw in 5 different areas of the city and make it available.

Citywide.

We had a lot of interest from colleagues in different corners of the city to do that.

I've been able to see in my neighborhood very multi-unit.

We have coach eyes as we have attics and basements.

How successful that can be and want to make sure that we're bringing those options, which helps with housing every neighborhood that we that desperately need to every corner of the city.

those who oppose this have expressed concerns about overcrowding, straining resources tells about the different types to use that Chicagoans can expect to see more of what this ordinance now in effect.

Of course, there's mainly 3 big types of 80 user accessory doing news as they're known.

You can have mother in-law.

Units are at a cow you could have basement units and everyone's favorite.

The granny flat or the coach.

But >> something we're really grateful for is the fact that it's gonna be able to bring in a lot of multi-generational housing.

People are going to be able to age in place, see their kids and grandkids grow.

That's why they call it the granny flat.

That was going to my next question.

Why do they call it a granny flat?

thank you for getting to that alderman.

There are some aldermen who negotiated exemptions from this ordinance and we have a map of where ad use are permitted now.

So parts of the north, west, South West and South sides, those are the parts that you see in purple here where these legal these units can still not be built legally.

Those alderman cited concerns about population density threats to neighborhood character.

What do you make those arguments?

Well, I just want to be clear that even within that map in every purple zone, every business and commercial rezone property, which largely mixed use are now eligible to use.

And if you can go to 5, you can build an 80.

So it's single-family zones around the city that are not eligible.

>> And I'll tell you, I think a lot of my colleagues are having a look.

This is new for a lot of areas of the city.

If we look at it as a single-family pilot in those areas that it's happening, we're gonna get data every single year back to the city council and some of my colleagues having conversations and their communities now about expanding.

So I think there's a time that we can get to a full citywide ordinance in my lifetime before.

you know, make that a reality.

Citywide.

>> Stephanie could adding 80 use lead to overpopulation overly dense neighborhoods.

I disagree with that pretty strongly.

Chicago's down about a million from our peak.

Pretty much every city has had.

I'm sorry, every ward in the neighborhood.

Every word in the city, every different community area has had these.

They were legal prior to 9 to 57.

So chances are, you know, someone who's lived in one of these before.

I'm really looking forward to having them.

And I think they're gonna help with cost of living increase.

He's here in Chicago.

These units were once upon a time prohibited.

As you said, why were they historically band?

There's a variety of reasons for that.

The concerns of around overpopulation overcrowding are, in fact, rooted here in Chicago largely through races, exclusionary measures.

So I myself on Clement American.

I live in multi-generational household with my brother and my mom.

Soon people back in 1957, didn't want to see neighborhoods like that.

Especially around the time of Folks moving up from great Migration.

undoing some of those races policies together with the work that autumn in Lausanne and many other orders are pushing forward.

Alderman this ordinance it as we mentioned, expand a pilot program launched in 2021.

The pilot now the expansion expansion includes restrictions on area median income.

>> And long-term rent for property owners.

What are some of those requirements?

Why do you think are necessary?

Right?

So we actually did not change the affordable requirements in the atu ordinance.

It mirrors we have an affordable apartment, certain citywide for any new rental properties over 10 units.

>> We did not change that from the pilot, although that may one of conversations coming up.

Basically every other unit needs to be affordable with 6% I and restrictions.

I also want to say there is no short-term rentals allowed to use so no Airbnb VRBO are friends, the citizens housing housing for Chicagoans.

And so right in those cases where it has become affordable for the period of 30 years that you do have the same restrictions as we have in our are Stephen, your colleagues at WBEZ report that someone making 50% of the city's median income in the year 2000 could rent.

>> Half the apartments in at least 12 of Chicago's 77 community areas by 2022, though, that number shrank to just 5 community areas, what is causing housing and rent in Chicago to become so expensive despite what you mentioned earlier, the population decline over the years.

There's a variety of things that are going on in large part household sizes are becoming smaller.

So we're actually a peak household size.

And generally speaking, you fight with other households for rent.

>> There has been none building in parts of Chicago and in other parts of Chicago, the ramp of disinvestment that we've also seen effect, things like the streets and the schools.

Some hoping that something like this will also make it easier to grow more and have development without displacement into parts of Chicago that unfortunately been historically investment.

Alderman.

There may be some property owners who are watching this.

They want to build an ad you what's the process?

There's actually really easy landing Page City.

It's Chicago DOT Gov.

Slash Atu.

>> Obviously already flagged is not that's a that's a year you thought but basically one page form, it's clickable.

You put your address ownership type.

The number of units on the property.

And we'll tell you whether or not you're eligible for an ad on the property.

Now, obviously take back of the building permit, get your drawings and then constructed.

We had a lot of interest in the last week.

There were 126 applications already filed through that preapproval process that mirrors the last year of the pilot.

So a lot of folks have been waiting for this day and this week to come to bring in new house and for their their families or their community or as investment can help stabilize some houses that could use the investment income, the rental income as well.

Stephen, you smell really big win.

He said 126 applications just recently when it held 6 Teslas 6 days.

What tell you, it means that we're going to have more Chicagoans are going to have more people living happy lives close.

Their neighbors close to him.

>> People they already live with their family.

And I just love to hear it.

I want I love Chicago.

I think it's the greatest city in the world.

And I want there to be more >> Great.

Well, you're the ultimate you.

And Mayor Johnson, who also supported this ordinance got about 30 seconds left town of this as an example of cutting the procedural red tape getting government out of the way of property owners and developers or city regulations and laws of the getting in the way of building affordable housing in the city?

You know, it's I think it depends on who you ask.

There are certainly things that we're always going to get out of our own way.

And I appreciate that.

The mayor has taken a deep dive in the Cup, the tape initiative and what that looks like.

>> I know Mayor Emanuel did the same with some business license and types.

I think some of its legislative, some of its process, some of it is in the bureaucracy.

And we always have to make sure what we're doing.

What we can to make this easier to keep