ABLA Land Transfer Should Halt to Allow Mayor Elect Brandon Johnson Time for Review
CHICAGO, IL, April 11, 2023: Today, on behalf of the Coalition to Protect CHA Land, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Legal Action Chicago, and National Housing Law Project submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) asking for a pause on any action to finalize the disposition of land at the former ABLA Homes to the Chicago Fire Football Club until the Mayor Elect can review the proposal.
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Legal Action Chicago, and National Housing Law Project alerted HUD to serious civil rights concerns with CHA’s proposal to lease 23 acres of public housing land to the Chicago Fire. HUD’s Special Applications Center (SAC) approved the disposition application without responding to the objection letters submitted on behalf of the Coalition to Protect CHA Land. HUD is required to comply with civil rights laws and conduct a civil rights review before a land transfer can occur on CHA land but failed to do so in this case.
The City and CHA are moving quickly in an attempt to finalize this land transfer amid a mayoral transition.
“The application was approved just 6 days after the Feb 28 mayoral election confirmed there would be an impending transition in the mayor’s office. The timing is suspicious given the controversy surrounding the proposal and further action should wait until the new administration has a chance to analyze the civil rights implications,” said Emily Coffey, Director of Equitable Community Development and Housing at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. “Given this proposal could impact Chicago for the next 60 years, this process should not be rushed.”
At issue is land meant for affordable housing on the Near West Side. This community has experienced significant change and gentrification over the past twenty years since the ABLA Homes were demolished. CHA families previously had access to good jobs, healthcare, parks, and other amenities that the neighborhood has to offer. Now is the time to rebuild the affordable housing that has long been promised and is desperately needed in Chicago’s opportunity areas. The Coalition to Protect CHA Land urges the City and CHA to comply with their duty to ensure affordable housing is built in opportunity areas to reduce racial segregation in Chicago.
"We call on Mayor Johnson to live up to his campaign promise that he would stop the privatization of public land to instead use public land to provide safe and clean housing to people no market can ever house at a profit, no matter how small,” said Don Washington, Executive Director of Chicago Housing Initiative.
Read the letter submitted today by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, Legal Action Chicago, and National Housing Law Project to HUD here.
About Chicago Lawyers’ Committee
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is a non-partisan, non-profit group of civil rights lawyers and advocates working to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all. We provide legal representation through partnerships with the private bar, and we collaborate with grassroots organizations and other advocacy groups to implement community-based solutions that advance civil rights. For more information, visit www.clccrul.org or call (312) 630-9744.
The Coalition to Protect CHA Land
The Coalition to Protect CHA Land is a partnership of community organizations including Chicago Housing Initiative, Lugenia Burns Hope Center, Working Families Solidarity, Access Living, Metropolitan Tenants Organization, and Pilsen Alliance, faith institutions including the Bethel Mennonite Community Church, and individuals who work with and empower public housing residents to fight for their rights while protecting and improving their existing housing. The coalition is committed to preventing the privatization of public land that has been designated for public housing.