Levy House offers 56 affordable 1-bedroom apartments at 1221 W Sherwin.
Network 49 learned that 1221 W Sherwin, a 56-unit senior housing property known as Levy House and owned by non-profit Council for Jewish Elderly, may be in final negotiations to be sold to a for-profit developer. The sale would put the homes of low-income seniors and persons with disabilities at grave risk. While we continue to seek more information about the sale, sent the following to Mr. Dan Fagin, CEO of Council for Jewish Elderly, and Mr. Kal Wenig, Council for Jewish Elderly Board Chair. We are seeking a commitment from CJE to sell the property to responsible developer/operator of affordable housing.
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Dear Mr. Fagin and Mr. Wenig:
We write on behalf of Network 49, a membership based resident-led organization in Rogers Park that is concerned about balanced development, community safety, and quality schools. We were recently made aware of the possible sale of Levy House (1221 W Sherwin) to BJR Properties. We wanted to let you know that:
- Network 49 and its 100+ members, plus network of 800+ allies, wants to support yours and others’ efforts to maintain affordable housing in Rogers Park for seniors of low incomes.
- We see the potential loss of 56 units of affordable housing at Levy House (1221 W Sherwin) as a major loss in our community.
- We feel strongly that the seniors need to be heard and protected.
- We understand that CJE wants to receive proper compensation for its property.
We ask CJE to suspend negotiations of the sale to BJB or any other buyer who is not fully committed to preserving the affordability of the units for the seniors.
We further ask CJE to allow interested parties reasonable time to organize the appropriate resources, including capital, to execute a sale that all can live happily with, including most importantly, the seniors.
Sincerely,
Katy Hogan and Michael Harrington, Co-Chairs, Network 49
Thom Clark, Chair, Housing and Community Development Committee
(773) 828-9539
