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Council advances ordinances targeting off-campus student housing and tenant/worker purchase rights
Summary
Councilmembers introduced a package of ordinances addressing off-campus student housing impacts, a proposed student impact fee and measures to create tenant and worker rights-of-first-refusal on property and business sales; items were referred to committee for hearings.
Councilors on June 5 moved a package of ordinances aimed at curbing off-campus student housing impacts and expanding local ownership opportunities for tenants and workers. The measures were referred to committees for further review rather than voted for final passage.
Councilwoman Peterson, sponsor of measures focused on student housing in Ward 14, said residents have experienced decades of noise, harassment and displacement: “For decades, students have lived in the Elmhurst community...What we're facing now is a loss of quality of life.” She said her ordinances draw on policies used in other cities and are meant to “restore balance” in neighborhoods affected by off-campus student housing.
Speakers from several wards strongly supported the package. Councilor Gonsalves urged “swift passage” to address “quality of life” impacts on long-term residents, and Councilman Reyes described developers’ conduct in a public task-force meeting as “entitled, exploitative and unacceptable.” Several members proposed a small student impact fee to require students living off campus to contribute to municipal services they use.
At the same time, the docket included ordinances to create a right of first refusal for tenants when landlords put rental buildings up for sale and for employees to buy businesses they work in when ownership changes. Councilman Rice framed those proposals as tools to preserve affordable housing and promote employee ownership: “This is about economic democracy...This ordinance is about saying to tenants you matter.”
Council actions: the council referred items 11 and 12 to the Committee on Finance; items 13 through 15 to the Committee on Ordinance; item 16 to Finance; and items 17 and 18 to the Committee on HOPE (housing/economic development). No final votes were taken on the substantive ordinances during the meeting.
Ending: Councilors said they expect committee hearings and invited colleagues to visit affected neighborhoods. Sponsors requested expedited committee review; council leadership did not set final committee dates during the session.
