Chicago has approximately one home for every 2.5 people. That’s a pretty far cry from having a ton of spare homes. Not sure where you get your 57x number from either. Jan 2025 PIT counted about 7k homeless folk. Highest estimate of housing vacancy I found counts 130k vacant units. That’s under 20x.
I strongly support a public housing model. In my advocacy, step 1 is making it legal to build code-compliant multifamily housing by-right. Want to get some funding for public housing? YIMBYs are gonna line up next to you as long as your funding source isn’t private housing (which we also need).
There is no compelling argument for private housing whatsoever. Just stating it as such doesn't make it so.
It’s how things work today. Stopping how things work today without an actionable alternatively (which I think you’d admit that the Vienna model is not actionable today) hurts worsens the pain of our housing shortage without meaningfully advancing your cause.
Chicago and Seattle both have workable social housing models that aren't ideal but change the game. Other cities can pass similar measures whenever they want. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” -James Baldwin
No, Chicago has a household size of between 2.4-2.67 people per home. That's not the same as what you're stating at all. We have ~1.26M housing units and a population of 2.66M, so closer to one home per 2.1 people. We are below capacity by ~366K units by the most conservative number in that range.
Is the current household size a factor of your current housing shortage? How many of these homes are folk living with roommates who would rather not?
The estimated doubled-up rate in Chicago is ~68K. Still plenty of housing for them too.
This was confirmed by the mayor just last week on his Ask the Mayor segment on WBEZ where he mentioned that we have 400K vacant units according to city reports. Meaning that the vacancy rate is well above the 5% that you claim. The 57x number was reported by United Way in Dec 2023.
You’re claiming rooms then, not homes?
Nope. Homes. No one anywhere in this discussion said anything about rooms.