CHICAGO THIS WEEKEND.

>> BUT FIRST THERE IS A SHORTAGE

OF AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS AND

AVAILABLE STARTER HOMES ACROSS

MANY CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS.

THIS YEAR DePAUL'S INSTITUTE

FOR HOUSING STUDIES REPORTED THE

LOSS OF SOME 14,000 UNITS IN TWO

TO FOUR-FLAT BUILDINGS.

LIKEWISE ANALYSTS SAY MIDDLE

INCOME BUYERS FACE HURDLES IN

FINDING A HOME ESPECIALLY A NEW

CONSTRUCTION HOME.

AS "CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" NICK BLUM

BERG REPORTS A DESIGN CHALLENGE

AIMS TO TACKLE THOSE ISSUES WITH

THE CONCEPT ADAPTABLE TO

DIFFERENT USERS IN DIFFERENT

NEIGHBORHOODS.

>> CONSIDER THE BUNGALOW.

THE MODEST HOME WAS FOR YEARS

THE BACKBONE OF MIDDLE INCOME

SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING STOCK IN

MANY CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO THE ORGANIZERS OF THE

DISRUPTIVE DESIGN CHALLENGE USED

IT AS SOMETHING OF AN ORGANIZING

PRINCIPLE.

PUTTING OUT CALLS TO ARCHITECTS

FOR A 21ST CENTURY BUNGALOW.

>> THE COST OF NEW CONSTRUCTION

IS SO HIGH WE ARE NOT SEEING

STARTER HOMES AND AFFORDABLE

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BEING BUILT.

IN CHICAGO WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF

VACANT LOTS OWNED BY THE CITY OF

CHICAGO.

AND IT PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY

TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND

MAKE AN INCENTIVE FOR MIDDLE

INCOME FAMILIES TO STAY HERE IN

THE CHICAGO AND NOT MOVE AWAY

AND MOVE INTO THE SUBURBS.

>> THE ORGANIZERS OF THE DESIGN

COMPETITION REACHED OUT TO THE

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

FOR HELP AND GOT 130 DIFFERENT

ENTRIES.

WHITTLED DOWN TO THE WINNER,

GREG TAMBORINO'S ADAPTABLE

HOUSE.

>> IT CAN ACCOMMODATE A VARIETY

OF USES.

SO IT MIGHT BE A SINGLE PERSON

THAT LIVES ON ONE FLOOR AND

RENTS THE UPSTAIRS.

OR MIGHT BE A SMALL FAMILY THAT

LIVES UPSTAIRS AND RENT OUT THE

LOWER FLOOR.

ACCOMMODATING IN TERMS OF BEING

ABLE TO HOUSE SOMEONE THAT MIGHT

BE WHEELCHAIR BOUND OR ELDERLY

AND AGING IN PLACE.

>> AND THE HOUSE IS NOT JUST

MEANT TO WORK FOR DIFFERENT

KINDS OF OWNERS.

IT IS ADAPTABLE TO NEIGHBORHOOD

LEVEL NEEDS.

TWO VACANT CITY-OWNED PLOTS ARE

SLATED FOR SITES TO BECOME A

REALITY IN WEST HUMBOLDT PARK

LOCAL ALDERMAN HOPES TO BRING IN

MIDDLE INCOME RESIDENTS THAT

WILL ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS

DEVELOPMENT.

AND PAT DOWELL'S BRONZEVILLE

IT'S MEANT TO HELP STABILIZE AN

AREA WITH HOUSING PRICES THAT

HAVE BEEN SPIKING.

GEOFF SMITH FOR DePAUL SAYS

IDEAS LIKE THE ADAPTABLE HOUSE

ARE A AVAILABLE STRATEGY TO

ATTACK PART OF CHICAGO'S

AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRUNCH.

>> IT IS EXCITE AND AND

INNOVATIVE COMPETITION THAT

HOPEFULLY CAN BE REPLICATED AND

PRODUCE NEW AFFORDABLE FOR SALE

HOUSING FOR MIDDLE INCOME

FAMILIES.

IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE CHALLENGE

OF WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE

NEIGHBORHOOD EARNING LESS THAN

25,000 A YEAR STRUGGLING TO FIND

AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING AND WE

NEED TO ADDRESS IT WITH OTHER

STRATEGIES.

>> AND WITH MORE AND MORE HIGHER

INCOME FAMILIES CHOOSING TO LIVE

AND BUY IN THE CITY, SMITH SAYS

THE SOLUTION CANNOT BE LEFT UP

TO DEVELOPERS.

>> IF YOU LEAVE IT UP TO

DEVELOPERS THEY WILL DEVELOP

EXPENSIVE HOUSING BECAUSE THEY

WANT TO MAKE MONEY.

AND UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT

PROVIDES INCENTIVE THEY WON'T.

>> WHILE YOU MIGHT NOT GET

JAZZED ABOUT ZONING CHANGES,

SMITH SAYS THE VARIED PROBLEMS

IN THE HOUSING AND RENTAL

MARKETS REQUIRE VARIED SOLUTIONS

INCLUDING IDEAS LIKE THE DESIGN

CONCEPT.

>> WE THED TO THINK ABOUT

REPOPULATING CHICAGO'S SOUTH AND

WEST SIDE.

THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY BUT

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN DOING IN

A WAY THAT IS RESPECTFUL AND

PLEASING IN A WAY THAT FOLKS CAN

SAY I'M PROUD TO LIVE HERE.

WHERE NEIGHBORS ARE HAPPY TO

LIVE NEXT TO THE COOL DESIGN

THAT IS WHAT MATTERS.

>> ARCHITECTS GOT FEEDBACK AND

GREG TAMBORINO SAYS HIS PLAN IS

MEANT TO BE SUSTAINABLE AND

OFFER A CONNECTION TO THE

OUTDOORS AND AFFORDABLE.

THROUGH AN EFFICIENT FLOOR PLAN

AND HOPEFULLY THROUGH ECONOMY OF

SCALE.

>> HIGHLY REPUBLICABLE DESIGN.

MAYBE PORTIONS THAT COULD BE

MASS PRODUCED.

SO BUILDING TWO HOMES TWO

STARTER HOMES WITH THE IDEA THAT

YOU CAN BUILD THOUSANDS OF THESE

ALL OVER CHICAGO OR IN ANY PLACE

REALLY.

>> THE MAJOR DEVELOPER RELATED

MIDWEST IS COMMITTED TO BUILD

THE FIRST TWO HOUSES ONCE

DISRUPTIVE DESIGNS ORGANIZERS

SECURED THE FUNDING.

>> IT'S ONE THING TO CREATE AN

INNOVATIVE AND BEAUTIFUL DESIGN

WHICH WE HAVE AND WE ARE EXCITED

BUT NOW WE ARE GOING THROUGH

EVERY SINGLE COST IN OUR BUDGET

AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN GET

THIS BUILT.

WE'RE CLOSE.

>> THE PLAN IS TO BREAK GROUND

WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.