Chicago Bungalows – Go Green Home Expo 2009

The launching of the 2009 Green Bungalow Block and model green home coincides with the coming Historic Chicago Bungalow and Green Home Expo 2009, taking place Oct. 17 at the Merchandise Mart. The expo, free to the public, will feature more than 140 exhibitors showcasing home renovation products many of them eco-friendly for owners of historic homes or older dwellings in need of modernization.

New to this year’s expo will be an “Ask an Architect” booth. Anyone considering major improvements can bring photos of their older homes and get free advice from an architect on how to begin pursuing their project, Conti said.

Also on hand at the expo will be an array of financial experts and advisers who can inform attendees about grants, loans and other incentives to encourage them to update their older homes. For example, representatives from Chicago’s Department of Environment would share information about its Greencorps energy-efficiency program for families with low to moderate incomes. And visitors can learn about federal income tax credits available for rehabs and improvements to bungalows, other single-family homes and small apartment buildings.

Launched by Mayor Richard M. Daley in September of 2000, the Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative is designed to foster an appreciation of the Chicago Bungalow as a distinctive housing type, encourage sympathetic rehabilitation of Chicago bungalows, and assist bungalow owners with adapting their homes to current needs, which in turn helps to strengthen Chicago bungalow neighborhoods.

The Historic Chicago Bungalow Association works in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Housing to keep neighborhoods affordable and preserve a Chicago treasure.  ”The best way to be green is to conserve what you have,” Annette Conti, executive director of the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association said. “We want to help bungalow owners understand they have a treasure and there are things in the building that can be improved while maintaining the historic character of the home.”