For decades, big investors profited off neglected buildings at the expense of predominantly Black neighborhoods. Now, the Community Receiver Program is working to ‘right historical wrongs’ by empowering residents to use receivership in a new way.
Solutions
Posted inFollow-Up
Alderpeople Want Meetings With CHA Boss After Investigation Revealed Vacant, Decaying Properties
City Council leaders, including the housing committee chair, renewed calls for CHA officials to attend regular hearings after an Illinois Answers/Block Club investigation found the agency is sitting on hundreds of vacant homes.
Posted inSolutions
As City Battles Housing Shortage, CHA Lets Hundreds Of Empty Homes Decay
The Chicago Housing Authority is supposed to provide affordable homes for those in need. But the agency has nearly 500 scattered-site units that are vacant — many causing problems for their neighbors.
Posted inSolutions
5 Ways Lawmakers Could Boost Equity in Illinois’ Stalled Cannabis Industry
“If we don’t provide real, intentional help for these social equity dreamers, we’re going to let them down as a state. All of their money will be lost,” a key lawmaker said.
Posted inSolutions
Illinois Doled Out Millions to Pot Growers. It Still May Not Be Enough to Save the Industry.
As independent ‘craft growers’ in Illinois struggle to secure financing for their cannabis businesses, a state-backed fund has emerged as a key lifeline.
Posted inSolutions
As Chicago Punts on Apartment Safety, Denver Shows What’s Possible
Chicago has no way of tracking landlords, nor does it require rental units to be inspected. That was the case in Colorado’s largest city, until officials decided to do something about it.
Posted inSolutions
Chicago Doesn’t Keep Track of Landlords. Renters Are Demanding Change.
Chicago’s building safety enforcement lags behind many peer cities. Boulder offers a model that Chicago could follow.
Posted inSolutions
East Coast Cities Are Zapping Rats With High-Tech Traps
SMART Boxes shock rats with electricity, collect their carcasses, then share data wirelessly with local officials.
Posted inSolutions
As Chicago Considers a ‘Mansion Tax,’ Evanston and LA Show Potential Paths Forward
Evanston is using its additional revenue to fund a housing reparations effort. Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ new funds are frozen as the tax is challenged in court.
Posted inSolutions
Could Chicago Impose an Income Tax? Here’s What It Looks Like in Other Cities.
As Mayor Brandon Johnson looks for new revenue, an income tax may be one of the city’s only progressive options. It comes with risks.
