Ald. Bennett Lawson (44) questions members of DOB and CFD during a zoning committee hearing on single-stair apartment reforms on June 4, 2026. [Livestream]

Citing fire safety concerns, representatives from the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) and Chicago Fire Department (CFD) on Thursday threw cold water on a proposal from a North Side alderman to allow some mid-size residential buildings to have just one exit stairway, creating an uphill battle for housing advocates that support it. 

Proponents plan to continue to negotiate, as they believe the ordinance will help increase the city’s housing stock, make it easier and cheaper to build, drive down rents and incentivize larger, family-sized dwellings.

Ald. Matt Martin (47), sponsor of the single-stair reform ordinance, is pictured at a City Council meeting on April 15, 2026. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards on Thursday will hold a public hearing on a proposal from a North Side alderperson to allow some mid-size residential buildings the flexibility to only install one set of exit stairs, a policy that could make it cheaper to build housing.

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza stars in her first 2027 Chicago mayor's race ad. [Campaign video]

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced she is running for Chicago mayor next year, marking the second time she will seek the city’s highest office. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson is pictured at a City Hall press conference on April 1, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is proposing a sweeping update of the city’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO), which would mark the first major modernization of the rental code since it was established four decades ago.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a City Council meeting on Oct. 30, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city Department of Housing on Monday unveiled a new program to help some prospective homeowners with down payments and closing costs. The grant program is the latest to be funded through Johnson’s $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development bond package.

Ald. William Hall (6) is pictured during a City Council meeting on Oct. 9, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Members of the City Council are once again mulling proposals to crack down on large gatherings of teens that have the tendency to turn unruly and violent. 

The start of summer and recent “teen takeover” events over the long Memorial Day weekend that included violence have brought the issue back to the forefront.

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) is pictured at a City Council meeting in July 2022. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

A Logan Square alderman has put forward a proposal to establish a new zoning district in the city code to better protect historic churches, schools and other cultural landmarks from demolition.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a City Council meeting on April 15, 2026. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

Mayor Brandon Johnson this week touted new research that said his administration’s cancellation of a gunshot detection technology contract two years ago led to positive public safety results but offered no update on an ongoing procurement process to replace it.