Community Victory: Jackson Park Housing Pilot Ordinance Passes After a Decade of Organizing
After years of community advocacy, the City Council has passed the Jackson Park Housing Pilot Ordinance - a critical step to protect South Side residents from displacement due to the development of the Obama Presidential Center, marking a significant victory for our long-time partners in the Obama Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) Coalition.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights has been proud to partner closely with the Obama CBA Coalition on this initiative helping to draft the initial Jackson Park Housing Ordinance that was introduced in October 2023. Since then, we have continued to support the coalition throughout its hard-fought campaign to pass this important legislation, including in negotiations with the City and other stakeholders. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee also supported the coalition with the passage of their first major victory in 2020 with the Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance.
The Obama CBA Coalition has spent the last decade organizing residents and advocating for strong community protections as property values and rents have steadily increased after plans for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park were announced in 2015.
The South Shore community is a majority-Black lakefront community where most residents are rent-burdened, and eviction rates are highest in the city. The Obama CBA Coalition focused their efforts on ensuring that long-time residents of this community are not displaced by the Obama Presidential Center and are able to stay and enjoy the benefits that the center will bring.
The Jackson Park Housing Pilot Ordinance:
Reserves 25 city-owned lots for affordable home ownership, and 5 city-owned lots for mixed-use and affordable housing development;
Identifies the 52 city-owned lots previously reserved for affordable housing in Woodlawn;
Establishes a leasing preference for displaced residents and a local developer preference;
Allocates $3M for a property tax debt relief pilot program;
Allocates $3M for repair of abandoned residential buildings to be sold with an affordability restriction (to households making up to 120% AMI);
Gives tenant associations in pilot area the right of first refusal when their buildings are put up for sale;
Requires extended notice of lease non-renewals within the pilot area.
From the beginning, the Obama CBA Coalition has led the way ensuring that the Obama Presidential Center brings benefits for long-time residents and that community voices were heard throughout the process. We are proud to stand alongside the coalition and celebrate this major step forward for South Shore residents!
Read local coverage of the ordinance here.