The most disturbing aspect of the announcement of the settlement recently concluded in the housing discrimination case against the Village of Addison is the appalling level of inaccuracies exhibited in the reporting by the Chicago news media. The Tribune was one of the principal violators.
In your Aug. 11 editorial, you indicate that “nobody accepts a settlement whose cost could reach $25 million, unless there is strong evidence something was not right.” The fact is that this number represents an estimate of all investment that will be required to totally redevelop these neighborhoods. Most of this cost would have occurred whether there was litigation or not, and most of it will come from private developers and not the village. The only story on Aug. 7 was that the village agreed to pay $2.5 million in attorneys’ fees to settle this case (demand was $4.7 million).
In another section, the Tribune swallows whole the plaintiffs’ allegation that we provided a family only one day’s notice before tearing down a building. This is completely inaccurate. All acquisitions provided owners with 90 days’ notice in order to allow tenants time to relocate. The building in question is still standing and was not demolished, as you reported.
You indicate that the village will be required to provide replacement housing for displaced families. This is true. The village, however, had always been willing to provide such a service.
You indicate that the village will be required to build parks and recreational facilities in the redeveloped neighborhoods. This is true. But the reason the village acquired and demolished buildings was to build parks, and the only reason that they are in the consent decree is due to the efforts of the village.
The plaintiffs sought to stop all demolition of housing. They failed. The agreement allows the demolition of 247 of the 1,003 dwelling units that existed in these neighborhoods in 1991, a number consistent with the village’s redevelopment plans. The notion stated by the plaintiffs that we were going to demolish 100 percent of the units in these neighborhoods is both preposterous and impossible.
The plaintiffs tried to challenge the village’s occupancy enforcement and housing inspection program. They failed. Our program will be unchanged as a part of the consent decree.
The plaintiffs, during the course of the litigation, attempted to pass a bill in the Illinois legislature that would severely restrict the ability to use tax-increment financing districts to rehabilitate residential areas. They failed.
The plaintiffs sought to have the village reconstruct low-income rental housing to replace all demolished units. They failed.
The plaintiffs attempted to stop all redevelopment activity. They failed. Both neighborhoods will be redeveloped in the next 15 years with the elimination of more than a third of the currently blighted rental housing stock and the introduction of more than 300 units of new, privately developed, owner-occupied housing.
The residents of Addison, their elected officials and staff demonstrated the courage of their convictions in determining that these neighborhoods needed work. Unlike many communities that bow to pressure, the village fought to ensure that our redevelopment plan will go forward. We are very pleased that we were successful in doing so.
