Testimony: Chicago cuts parking minimums near transit to boost housing affordability, availability

The Chicago City Council will allow residential developments near public transit to build without imposing parking space minimums, offering a major boost for affordability and the city’s housing supply.

Chicago City Council members passed an ordinance to make it easier to eliminate mandatory parking requirements for developments near public transit.

The change was approved July 15 by the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards and approved July 16 by the full city council. It will allow more flexibility for developers building housing in transit-rich neighborhoods.

The ordinance would allow developers to eliminate some or all of the parking for projects within one-quarter mile of a CTA bus corridor or within one-half mile of a CTA train stop. This ordinance allows developments to reduce parking without seeking zoning changes if other city standards are met.

Projects in downtown districts and areas adjacent to Metra stations seeking to reduce their minimum required parking below 50% will still need to seek special permission.

The committee passed the measure with a voice vote after testimony from Illinois Policy Institute policy researcher LyLena Estabine. The text of her testimony follows.

Testimony in support of Ordinance O2025-0015577

Good morning. My name is LyLena Estabine. I’m a housing policy researcher at the Illinois Policy Institute, and I’m here in support of the ordinance reducing or eliminating parking minimums near transit. This will allow Chicago to promote both housing affordability and environmental sustainability.

I live on the corner of Fullerton and Clark. While my apartment offers some on-site parking, I – and many other young people who live there – don’t need it. Instead, we make use of the six bus lines that stop just a few yards from the front door, or the train stop just a few blocks west. This ordinance would give developers the ability to add housing in desirable, transit-rich neighborhoods like mine without being constrained by outdated parking requirements, reducing the cost of building and making rents cheaper as a result.

Now more than ever, Chicago needs more flexible housing policies. There are 43% of Chicago’s households excessively burdened by housing costs. Nearly 1-in-4 are severely burdened, spending over half of their income just to keep a roof over their heads.

Stringent parking mandates make housing more expensive. Research has revealed above-ground parking in Chicago can cost $29,000 per space and raise rents by 17%. Beyond driving up costs, these mandates can make developments on smaller parcels of land impossible even when potential tenants don’t need or want a parking space because there’s not enough room to add a parking lot.

This ordinance will give developers the flexibility to build what makes sense near train stations and bus lines, where people are less likely to own cars in the first place. Reduced parking minimums support environmental sustainability by promoting walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods which reduce pollution and environmental harm. They make it possible for smaller, more affordable housing types to be built near job centers and community amenities, increasing socioeconomic diversity and family flourishing.

Please support this ordinance and let our city grow closer to affordability, equity and sustainability.

Thank you.