Public hearing set as county board nears vote on formation of HRA

A public hearing that could influence the future of forming a proposed Housing Redevelopment Authority in Cook County is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 10.

The hearing will start at 8:30 a.m., which is the regular time slot for public comment during meetings of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

The notion of forming a Housing & Redevelopment Authority in Cook County remains a key talking point as local government looks to play a role in addressing the housing crunch in the community. The proposed HRA will be an entity managed and organized similar to the format the local Economic Development Authority (EDA). If approved, the HRA would have oversight from the current EDA Board of Directors. It’s an idea the county board has considered throughout 2020 and this year, though no formal action has been taken to create such an entity at this time.

A vote to form an HRA in Cook County is a possibility at the next meeting of the county board on Aug. 10, following the public hearing.

Wide-ranging conversations on the challenges of finding, building and offering housing for both current and potential residents in Cook County continues to make headlines this summer.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with County Administrator James Joerke about the discussion on housing and what comes next in the process. The audio below is their entire conversation from July 28.

Joe Friedrichs July 29, 2021