SkokieVoice

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
www.skokievoice.org
Statement of Skokie Voice at the Village of Skokie Public Safety Commission Hearing on Multi-Unit Rental Licensing May 16, 2012

The Skokie Voice Residents Association supports the proposed licensing ordinance that is presently before this commission.
Board of Directors
Lisa Lipin
Chair

Brian Novak
Vice chair Secretary

Skokie Voice has been listening to the community. Residents raised issues of public safety at the two Skokie Voice public forums held in 2010, the year SV was established. In response, we created Community Safety and Housing committees. These committees are open to all Skokie Voice members, and membership is open to all adult members of the community. Last year, more than a dozen members of these two committees researched crime and housing issues. We requested and received detailed statistics from the Skokie Police Department. We consulted officials in other Chicago-area communities about their ordinances that require licensing of rental properties. In November 2011 we met with Village officials to share our findings: First, although the Village reports that overall crime rates have been decreasing, certain types of crimes, including street crimes, are occurring with some frequency. This is happening notably but not exclusively in neighborhoods with high concentrations of multi-unit rental housing, as evident in recent media reports. Second, many communities have had success in crime prevention and reduction by requiring licensing of rental housing. We asked Village officials to take action. To their credit, the Village responded swiftly in drafting the licensing program that is before us this evening.

Jerry Kohn Sheila Gross

Treasurer

Bonnie Fell
Membership

Marda Dunsky
Communications

Jeffrey Burman Gary Dolinko Roberta Dubrow Zariab Irfan James S. Nasby Eugene Salganik Seymour Schwartz Babu Varma

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Skokie Voice * P.O. Box 4618 * Skokie, IL 60076

Skokie Voice statement May 16, 2012 Village of Skokie Public Safety Commission Hearing

Skokie Voice supports the licensing program as a proactive means to address landlords who are noncompliant in keeping their properties up to code and dealing with problematic tenants. Skokie Voice encourages the Village to address landlords concerns about the ordinance. We understand that many if not most landlords, including those who are here tonight, are compliant. They respect their tenants and they respect the community. Skokie Voice urges the Village not to be swayed by claims made by special-interest groups that the proposed program constitutes government intrusion. Village government is charged with serving and protecting the interests of our community, chief among them public safety. The Village responding to that responsibility is not an intrusion. Furthermore, SV believes that licensing must be only one of several means to protect public safety. We have also urged Village officials to devote greater resources to police staffing. We respectfully suggest that the Public Safety Commission be involved in studying and advocating for this vital issue. Finally, SV encourages Skokie residents including members of this commission to think in terms of broad community interest. Public safety is the foundation for all else in our community. The proposed ordinance will serve that interest. Thank you.
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