Chicago Citizens for

Neighborhood Stabilization
January 15, 2010

Hon. Ray Suarez

Alderman, 31st Ward
Chairman of the Committee on Housing & Real Estate
4502 W. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago, IL 60639

Dear Alderman Suarez:

In January 2009, HUD approved the City of Chicago’s plan to allocate $55,238,017
Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds with the expectation of leveraging an additional
$58 million in private financing. Program activities were to include acquisition of abandoned
foreclosed properties to be rehabbed for rental and for sale housing, demolition of dilapidated
properties, land banking, new construction, homebuyer financing and administration.

The City indicated that it would use NSP funding to acquire 425 properties to be rehabbed.
Of this number, 150 would be rehabbed for rental units, and 275 would be rehabbed for
homeownership. An additional 100 properties would be acquired for demolition. These properties
were to be land banked and the resulting vacant lots were to be sold to developers and nonprofit
agencies, who would construct new homes. The City anticipated that 60 of the 100 properties
acquired for demolition would be eventually developed for new homes within the plan period. HUD
guidelines require that NSP funds be committed within 18 months. We are very concerned that
public records indicate that after about a year, the City has received $55 million funding for NSP 1,
but only 12 acquisitions have been made as of December 31, 2009. We have provided a copy of an
article outlining the status of the NSP program based upon publicly available information.

We, the undersigned, representing citizens and community based organizations across the
City of Chicago, respectfully request that you would host a public hearing to determine the status of
the City’s $55 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP 1), and its plans for an additional
$98 million (NSP 2), awarded January 14, 2010. Ideally, the hearing will provide an opportunity for
City staff to make a presentation outlining their progress towards the program’s goals and
objectives, and identify those factors that seem to be hindering them from implementing the
program within the proposed timeline. Likewise, there should be opportunities for public
comments that would allow stakeholders to share their experiences with mortgage foreclosure and
the NSP program. At the end of the day, we’d like to see a set of recommendations as to how the
City Department of Community Development can make the necessary improvements and move
forward.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Valerie F. Leonard at 773-521-3137 or
valeriefleonard@msn.com. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you
soon.

Sincerely,

CHICAGO CITIZENS FOR

NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION
(See attached list of organizations and individuals)
 Chicago Citizens for
Neighborhood Stabilization
The following organizations and individuals are in support of the January 15, 2010 request to
Alderman Ray Suarez requesting a City Council Hearing on the status of the Neighborhood
Stabilization Program.

Adjoa Barbara J. Baker, Midwest Region Rep., N'COBRA, Co chairperson Chicago Chapter,
National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, N'COBRA, Citywide
Leroy Bowers, 4th Ward
Ms. Willie Mae Bowling, President, United Block Club Council, 24th Ward
Cynthia L. Bowman 3rd Ward resident; activist in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 20th Wards
Bronzeville Area Residents' and Commerce Council, 2nd Ward, 3rd Ward, 4th Ward
Roxanne L. Brown, 4th Ward
William N. Burch, 15th Ward
JoAnn Burl, Founder & CEO Jeanette's Joy Community Services, Roseland, 9th Ward, 34th Ward
Chicago Westside Branch NAACP, 2nd Ward, 22nd Ward, 24th Ward, 27th Ward, 28th Ward,
29th Ward, 37th Ward
Ron Carter, Chairman, Black Wall Street-Chicago, Citywide
Arness Dancy, Pres/CEO, Englewood Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc., 3rd Ward, 6th Ward,
15th Ward,16th Ward, 17th Ward, 20th Ward
James Dean, Executive Director, Autumnus, Inc. 42nd Ward; 4th Ward resident
Sel Dunlap, 24th Ward
Gerald Frazier ,15th Ward
Sandra Glenn, Executive Director, Prevention Force Family Center, 24th Ward, 29th Ward,
37th Ward
Dorothy Goldsmith, 24th Ward
Millie Goldsmith, 24th Ward
The Grand Boulevard Federation, 2nd Ward, 3rd Ward, 4th Ward
Demetrice Griffin
Rosalind Henderson Harris, 5th Ward
Derrick Harris, President and CEO, North Lawndale LSC Federation, 2nd Ward, 22nd Ward,
24th Ward, 27th Ward, 28th Ward
Janice Hobson, Bradley Youth Center, 24th Ward
Bobbie Johnson, President, Rosenwald Commons Land Trust, 3rd Ward
Arlene Jones, Austin Weekly News, 37th Ward
Rose Joshua, President, Chicago Southside NAACP, (All Southside Wards)
Trudi Langendorf, 50th Ward
Lawndale Alliance, 2nd Ward, 22nd Ward, 24th Ward, 27th Ward, 28th Ward
Minister Sylvia Jones
Valerie F. Leonard, 24th Ward
Susan P. Malone, Esq., 47th Ward
Aviva Miriam Patt, 35th Ward
Victoria Quero, 25th Ward
Donna Ramey, 20th Ward
Rickey L. Robertson, 5th Ward
Janis Robinson, Park Manor Neighbor's Association, 6th Ward
Mahaley Sommerville, 24th Ward
Richard Townsell, 24th Ward
Michael Trout, Executive Director, YMEN, 24th Ward; Lawndale resident, 22nd Ward
Dwayne Truss, 29th Ward
Rev. Anibal Vega, CEO, The Center for Community Development Initiatives, 16th Ward,
20th Ward
Dorothy Walton, Community Activist, “The Fighting Fifth”, 2nd Ward, 24th Ward, 27th
Ward, 28th Ward
Rev. Stanley Watkins, Chief of Staff, Office of Rep. Bobby L. Rush; Wards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 34
Dorothy Williams, 24th Ward
Attorney Melissa Williams, 24th Ward
Savannah Williams, 3rd Ward
Gladys Woodson, United Block Club Council 22nd Ward, 24th Ward
 Distribution
Copies of this letter have been sent to the following:
Senator Richard Durbin
Senator Roland Burris
Congressman Danny K. Davis
Congressman Luis Gutierrez
Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.
Congressman Bobby Rush
State Senator Jacqueline Collins
State Senator Rickey Hendon
State Senator Mattie Hunter
State Senator Emil Jones, III
State Senator James Meeks
State Senator Kwame Raoul
State Senator Heather Steans
State Senator Donne E. Trotter
State Representative LaShawn K. Ford
State Representative Connie Howard
State Representative Arthur L. Turner
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger
Cook County Commissioner Jerry Butler
Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele
Mayor Richard M. Daley
Alderman Manuel Flores 1st Ward
Alderman Robert Fioretti , 2nd Ward
Alderman Pat Dowell, 3rd Ward
Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, 4th Ward
Alderman Leslie Hairston, 5th Ward
Alderman Freddrenna Lyle, 6th Ward
Alderman Sandi Jackson, 7th Ward
Alderman Michelle Harris, 8th Ward
Alderman Anthony Beale, 9th Ward
Alderman James Pope, 10th Ward
Alderman James Balcer, 11th Ward
Alderman George Cardenas, 12th Ward
Alderman Frank Olivo, 13th Ward
Alderman Edward Burke,14th Ward
Alderman Toni Foulkes, 15th Ward
Alderman JoAnn Thompson, 16th Ward
Alderman Latasha Thomas, 17th Ward
Alderman Lona Lane, 18th Ward
Alderman Virginia "Ginger" Rugai, 19th Ward
Alderman Willie Cochran, 20th Ward
Alderman Howard Brookins, 21st Ward
Alderman Ricardo Munoz, 22nd Ward
Alderman Michael Zalewski, 23rd Ward
Alderman Sharon Dixon, 24th Ward
Alderman Daniel Solis, 25th Ward
Alderman Roberto Maldonado, 26th Ward
Alderman Walter Burnett, 27th Ward
Alderman Ed Smith, 28th Ward
Alderman Isaac Carothers, 29th Ward
Alderman Ariel Reboyras,30th Ward
Alderman Ray Suarez, 31st Ward
Alderman Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward
Alderman Richard Mell,33rd Ward
Alderman Carrie Austin 34th Ward
Alderman Rey Colon, 35th Ward
Alderman John Rice, 36th Ward
Alderman Emma Mitts, 37th Ward
Alderman Thomas Allen, 38th Ward
Alderman Margaret Laurino,39th Ward
Alderman Patrick O'Connor, 40th Ward
Alderman Brian Doherty, 41st Ward
Alderman Brendan, Reilly42nd Ward
Alderman Vi Daley, 43rd Ward
Alderman Thomas Tunney, 44th Ward
Alderman Patrick Levar, 45th Ward
Alderman Helen Shiller, 46th Ward
Alderman Eugene Shulter, 47th Ward
Alderman Mary Ann Smith, 48th Ward
Alderman Joe Moore, 49th Ward
Alderman Bernard Stone, 50th Ward
Acting Commissioner Christine Raguso, Department of Community Development
Members of the Press
Various E-Mail Distribution Lists