Affordable Housing
Hi Neighbor! Welcome to the affordable housing information page. Here, you’ll find resources surrounding affordable housing in the City of Chicago and the 46th Ward.
ARO - Affordable Requirements Ordinance
SRO - Single Room Occupancy
Section 8 - Subsidized, income based private housing
CHA - Chicago Housing Authority
Chicago Housing Locator - Mayors office resource for finding affordable housing
Terms to Know!
Chicago Housing Locator
The Chicago Housing Locator is a tool from the Mayor’s Office for renters looking for affordable housing. You can search by zip code, income level, desired rent, and more! The page also has access to additional resources through the Mayor’s Office’s Housing Resource Guide. To access the housing locator, click below!
Chicago Housing Search
Chicago Housing Search is a non-city, community-run website dedicated to promoting available section 8 housing for the whole of Chicago! It provides a full list of all available section 8, alongside information about section 8 and CHA.
Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO)
The Affordable Requirements Ordinance is a part of the Chicago Municipal Code which requires certain newly constructed buildings to make 10% of their units income-based affordable housing.
What is the Point of the ARO?
The ARO is a form of Inclusionary Zoning which ties affordable homes to private development. ARO requires new developments with more than 10 units to make between 10% and 20% of their units affordable to individuals who fall under the Area’s Median Income (AMI).
What kind of buildings are part of the ARO?
All new developments with more than 10 units built after 2021 are subject to ARO, meaning that new developments also bring new affordable housing!
46th Ward ARO Housing E-Mail List
ARO units can sometimes be hard to come by, and even harder to find out about. Since our ward office has the resources to know when ARO units will become available, we created the 46th Ward ARO Mailing List. This list lets us know who in the neighborhood is looking for neighborhood Affordable Housing so we can send you an email and give you a call when applications for ARO units open so you can be the first one to apply!
PLEASE NOTE- THIS IS NOT A GUARENTEE AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. This is a signup for a reminder email and phone call when ARO Applications become available!