Downtown Affordable Housing Density Bonus Process Audit

Executive Summary

The Inspector General’s Office performed an audit of processes related to the Downtown Affordable Housing Density Bonus. The purpose of the program is to increase the availability of affordable housing in Chicago through the provision of density bonuses that give developers additional square footage for development projects. In return, the developer provides a specified number of on-site affordable housing units or contributes to a special fund that supports the construction or rehabilitation of, or rental subsidies for, affordable housing.

The purpose of the audit was to review, test, and evaluate the processes to determine whether the Department of Housing and Economic Development and its predecessors had effective controls as well as adequate policies and procedures related to the density bonus.