Chicago policymakers have introduced measures to increase housing supply, in a move that local activists and construction industry stakeholders have hailed as key to easing affordability pressures on residents.
According to the city's 2025 annual report on homelessness, Chicago is facing its largest gap in affordable and available housing in a decade, with the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count estimating that 7,452 people were experiencing homelessness, either in shelters or unsheltered locations, on January 23, 2025.
Steven Vance, a social worker in Chicago, said policies that previously curbed the city's housing supply have pushed up rent costs amid demographic changes.
"Households are declining in size, and that means we need more homes, and I thought it was strange that we would artificially restrict how many homes could get built in Chicago. Right now in Chicago, we have one of the highest rent growths, compared year to year in the country, and so now is a pivotal time to allow more housing," he said.
To address the challenge, Chicago has introduced zoning and land-use reforms, including the Additional Dwelling Units (ADU) Ordinance, aimed at increasing residential density and expanding housing supply.
The ordinance effectively expands housing access across the city by allowing ADUs in attics, basements, and accessory buildings, easing the rent burden and creating more budget-friendly housing options.
"In December 2020, City Council adopted an ordinance that would legalize ADUs in five pilot areas. (With ADU,) rents will maybe not always come down, but they will not climb as quickly as they are now if we have more housing options," he said.
The construction sector in the city has welcomed the policy change, with builders jumping on the opportunity to create new structures. For many in the industry, boosting housing supply is not just about doing business, but about addressing the issue of affordability as Chicago residents themselves.
"The housing market in Chicago has been impacted by the ADU program, to me, in a really big way. It's enabled a lot more rental projects to be constructed. I want there to be more housing in Chicago. I think there is a need for that, and I think there's also a need for responsible development that maintains the character of the neighborhood. Affordable housing to me is a really important issue, and to me, the biggest denominator in affordable housing is the lack of supply. The best route to affordable housing is to have an influx of housing," said Nick Serra, a construction professional.
Chicago expands housing supply to ease affordability pressure
A new Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, the Dongguan (Hull 109), recently completed its first maritime training at the waters of the East China Sea after commissioning to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.
During this combat-oriented training exercise, the Dongguan not only completed single-vessel training subjects such as navigating through narrow waterways and damage control, but also coordinated with other warships in the formation to conduct joint operation drills, including maritime assault missions, at-sea replenishment, and multi-domain coordinated strikes.
With the improved performance of weaponry and equipment, the software and hardware of the Dongguan are vastly different from those of previous vessels. Sailors onboard the warship said that it's much more well-equipped and responsive.
"The Dongguan can now observe farther and hear more clearly. From detecting the target to launching strikes, it may take only a few seconds. However, seeing farther and wider also brings exponentially more interference factors. This requires us to practice and observe more frequently to accumulate experience, so as to enable rapid identification and efficient response," said Guo Tian, a lieutenant onboard the Gongguan.
In addition to diversified subjects with a clear combat focus, the Dongguan also faced challenges posed by harsh weather conditions during the training exercise. The crew remained at their posts throughout the process, demonstrating exceptional skills in maneuvering the vessel.
"To accelerate the combat readiness of the vessel, we participated fully in the testing and trial navigation missions from the very beginning of taking over the ship. The very first power trial navigation was independently completed by our own crew. Throughout this process, we not only learned how to operate the ship, but also understood the working principles behind its operation. This has laid a solid foundation for our combat-oriented training and equipment maintenance," said Zhang Chen, a helmsman onboard the Dongguan.
"During this maritime training exercise, we adhered to a problem-oriented approach. By creating complex settings and simulating real combat scenarios, we thoroughly tested the quality and effectiveness of the integration of trial and training during the equipment handover period, while systematically validating the combat effectiveness of the new equipment. Next, we will further optimize deployment, consolidate our foundation, strengthen coordination and cooperation, actively integrate into formation and group training, and continuously enhance the vessel’s comprehensive combat capabilities," said Shen Kai, commanding officer onboard the Dongguan.
The Type 055 destroyer is the fourth-generation destroyer independently developed and built by China. As one of the Chinese PLA Navy's most advanced surface warships, it carries advanced radar, universal vertical launch systems, and comprehensive radio frequency system, serving as the core the naval fleets for far-sea missions.
The Dongguan was commissioned to the PLA Navy together with another Type 055, the Anqing (Hull 110). With these additions, the number of China's Type 055 10,000-ton-class destroyers has risen to 10 since the first Type 055 destroyer Nanchang (Hull 101) was commissioned in 2020.
China's newly commissioned Type 055 destroyer Donggaun completes 1st maritime training
