Should New Airbnbs Be Limited In Logan Square, Humboldt Park? Residents Can Weigh In On Ballot

HUMBOLDT PARK — Residents in the 26th Ward will be asked on next week s ballot to weigh in on whether they think there should be a cap placed on new vacation rentals in the area. Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) is asking constituents in her ward, which covers most of Humboldt Park and parts of Logan Square, Hermosa and Belmont Cragin, whether there should be a limit on new vacation rentals like Airbnbs and VRBO apartments in the ward to instead keep apartments available to area residents amid Chicago s rental housing shortage. The non-binding referendum question, for 26th Ward residents only, will gauge voter support for a policy proposal around limiting new short-term rental vacation apartments in the ward, or specific areas of it. It s one of five non-binding questions Chicago voters will see on their ballot, which are votes not tied to a specific policy. The idea is that if neighbors are saying we should limit these and focus on keeping these units to be housing for individual