Today is the last day for low-income Chicago families to throw their name into the hat for a housing choice, or Section 8 voucher. As of the latest tally, the Chicago Housing Authority has taken in over 200,000 registrations. Those families now enter a lottery for 40,000 spots on a wait list for the vouchers. It's the first time in over a decade that the wait list has opened up—and it could be a long time before it does again. So the gaping difference between the number of families needing an affordable place to live and those likely to get it has many advocates worried.
Joining us to discuss some possible solutions to help close that gap are two people who keep a close eye on affordable housing in Chicago and Illinois. Adam Gross is director of the Regional Affordable Housing Initiative for the organization Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, or BPI. And Charlie Wheelan is an expert in public policy, and a lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Studies.
Music Button: Eastern Blok, “Tango Pajdusko”, from the CD Folk Tales, self-released.