Councilman says Dolton housing program will give residents first chance on vacant homes

A resident asked whether vacant houses in Dolton would be available "for the residents to purchase, to rent, to sell, to buy," prompting a councilman to outline how the Dolton United Housing Program will work.

The councilman said the program — which he said was approved previously by the board — is intended "for the residents." He told the meeting, "I'll give more information on Wednesday," and said there will be "a 2-month period where we'll give the residents a chance, first first chance." The councilman urged residents to note addresses of vacant properties they see so they can be considered for the program.

Why this matters: The program is meant to reduce long-standing vacancies by prioritizing local residents for access to vacant properties. If implemented as described, the policy could change who is first considered to occupy or purchase vacant homes in Dolton.

The councilman said the Wednesday session will go over the application process and the dates when the village will start collecting applications; those specific application start dates were not specified in the transcript. He also said the Wednesday meeting would be recorded for people who cannot attend in person and offered to provide his phone number afterwards to answer questions. A participant thanked him and referenced "5:30 p.m. at our village," but the transcript does not make clear whether that is the meeting time for Wednesday or a different event.

The transcript notes only that the Dolton United Housing Program was "approved by the board." The record here does not include the board vote or the motion text approving the program; those procedural details were not provided in this excerpt.

The councilman encouraged residents to begin identifying vacant properties now and said he would stay after the meeting to answer further questions. The village will present the application process at Wednesday's meeting for anyone seeking details.