Johnson's big green social housing initiative stalls amid concern about ethics, transparency

Mayor-Backed 'Green Social Housing' Ordinance Stalls In Council

CITY HALL — One of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top 2025 legislative priorities stalled Wednesday as the proposed “green social housing” ordinance failed to advance to a full City Council vote.The ordinance, which would create a city-run nonprofit to spur the development of environmentally friendly affordable housing units across the city, went before a joint meeting of the City Council’s finance and housing committees for a third time over the past …

Johnson's big green social housing initiative stalls amid concern about ethics, transparency

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s innovative plan to confront Chicago’s affordable housing crisis hit a roadblock Wednesday, despite frenzied negotiations that satisfied one of the mayor’s powerful union allies.The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 embraced the so-called “green social housing” ordinance after Johnson agreed to job protections for AFSCME members concerned that their jobs could be privatized.But the Cit…

Mayor Brandon Johnson gets union backing, but aldermen stall housing loan fund plan – Chicago Tribune*

The ordinance would establish a nonprofit developer arm of the city’s Department of Housing to control a $135 million fund offering developers low-cost loans during construction. The Wednesday AFSCME deal added guarantees that the nonprofit structure created by the ordinance to administer the loan fund would use workers from the city’s Department of Housing if it created jobs similar to ones that already exist in the department.