00:00Thank you, Senator Scott. Senator Duckworth, please.
00:03Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good morning to our witnesses.
00:05Senator Del Toro, I want to discuss the housing issues at Halsey Village at Naval Station
00:12Great Lakes. I understand housing issues have plagued Halsey Village for years, even from
00:16a previous administration. I'm not here today to assign blame, but I do want to work constructively
00:21with the Navy on a path forward. The Navy leased Halsey Village to Hunt Military Communities
00:25under a 50-year lease, and Hunt is responsible for day-to-day operations. The Lake County
00:32Board Chair and Mayor of North Chicago, where Halsey Village is located, wrote to Hunt Military
00:37Communities on October 2023 to express their concerns regarding the physical condition
00:42of Halsey Village. In their letter, they wrote, there is not a neighborhood in all of Lake
00:47County that is in worse condition than Halsey Village. The neighborhood has taken on the
00:51moniker of zombie village, given the great numbers of homes in various states of neglect.
00:58There are 353 housing units within Halsey Village. Currently, 249 housing units are
01:04uninhabitable, with 44 of these units so badly deteriorated that they are cornered off behind
01:11a chain link fence. It is unacceptable that the Navy is renting housing units in Halsey
01:16Village to military families and Illinois residents, knowing the conditions of these
01:20homes. The Navy also offers prorated rent for sailors to live in Halsey Village. This
01:26creates an incentive for junior enlisted sailors to live in substandard conditions. No one
01:32should be living in Halsey Village, and the Navy should not be creating an incentive for
01:35sailors to live there either. I want to discuss the future of Halsey Village and communicate
01:40my expectations as the Navy finalizes decisions. One, the Navy must keep my office, Senator
01:47Durbin's office, and the Lake County community and local elected leaders updated on decisions
01:51being made regarding Halsey Village. The path to remediate and redevelop Halsey Village
01:56will take years, and I understand that. I will remain laser focused on ensuring the
02:01interests of the community are protected and heard. Two, there are still 22 housing units
02:07in Halsey Village being rented to military families, and 88 units are rented at market
02:11rate to Illinois residents. Until a decision is made on the future of Halsey Village, the
02:15Navy must continue to be responsive to the needs of the residents and force military
02:21communities to address any maintenance issues. Three, I understand that the Navy is discussing
02:27options to redevelop the land after the homes in Halsey Village are demolished. The Navy
02:31must ensure that no corners are cut using a commercially compatible developer to avoid
02:36environmental remediation costs if such a solution would not be acceptable to the Lake
02:40County community and local elected leaders. For example, to avoid remediation, you can't
02:45just pour concrete over it and say, okay, it's now commercial property. That way we
02:49don't have to deal with remediation. If the community actually wants to have that property
02:54be used for future residential housing, which is desperately needed in the community.
02:59Secretary Del Toro, I understand that remediating and redeveloping Halsey Village will be costly,
03:04and this problem pre-exists your tenure there. I understand that. I ask that you work with
03:09me and my staff to ensure that remediating and redeveloping Halsey Village remains a
03:13priority for the Navy and that we are resourcing these efforts appropriately. Can you commit
03:18to that?
03:19Absolutely, Senator.
03:20Thank you. Secretary Del Toro, once the Navy finalizes plans for Halsey Village, can you
03:24provide my staff with a copy of the Navy's plans to remediate and redevelop Halsey Village,
03:29including any timelines associated with those plans?
03:32Yes, Senator.
03:33Thank you. If you find yourself in Illinois, in Chicago, any time this summer, I invite
03:37you to come out to Halsey Village, and I will tour it with you.
03:39Yes, ma'am. I promise to do so.
03:41Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
